


Happenstance

by MidnightAngel414



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightAngel414/pseuds/MidnightAngel414
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Losing his mom had been devastating, especially at such a young age. He vowed to never let anything happen to his father because he knew losing him would be the last straw, it would break him completely. From that day forward he monitored his father's eating habits, sleep habits, drinking habits, and exercise habits. He wanted to make sure his dad would be healthy for years to come. He thought he'd been doing a good job of it, was sure of it. When he gets a phone call, a call bringing up his worst nightmares, Stiles is heart broken. All the years of making sure his dad lived a healthy life, even if he himself did not, was wasted.</p>
<p> Cancer. </p>
<p>Derek had always been good with patients, not so much the families, especially the families grieving. He never knew what to say and always felt awkward. The day he walks into the room and sees a frantically upset man about his age fretting over his father and cursing at a doctor, he can't help but feel like this is going to be a different kind of experience. He knows the face and facade of a man hiding behind anger and he knows that sometimes a shoulder in a crisis is all a person needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happenstance

**Author's Note:**

> First major Sterek fic. Done for the Sterek Big Bang on Livejournal.

“Stiles?”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded as if it were coming from the other side of a tunnel. It was far away and fuzzy, yet at the same time it was clear as a bell. Okay, so maybe he couldn't hear clearly and the bell was actually the ringing in his ears as his whole world came crashing down around him with one single word. Stiles figured he was allowed this moment of shock as he absorbed this horrid new fact he had just learned.

Cancer.

His father had cancer.

Stiles hadn't heard much after that word had left his father's mouth but from the little bits he did mange to catch between the ringing in his ears and the pounding of his heart, he realized it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He caught words such as 'colon', 'early stage', 'radiation', and 'chemotherapy'. The last two words he caught scared him more than the first two. He knew what colon cancer was, it was a big thing among men his father's age but of course that couldn't happen to his father. Stories of men getting cancer were far away notions that couldn't possibly happen to anyone he actually knew. Of course that was denial and the reality was this: his father had early stage colon cancer and would be having surgery in the coming weeks to remove what could be removed. He was sure his dad had mentioned either chemotherapy as an added treatment or radiation, or a combination of the two, but honestly he hadn't heard anything after 'colon cancer'. He didn't even know what stage it was in aside from 'early'.

“Stiles, you still there?”

“Ye—Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat when the statement came out hoarse, like he was about to cry. He was allowed to feel like that, granted he didn't want his father to know he felt like crying. He could only imagine what the man himself must be going through since his own cells were turning against him and trying to kill him from the inside out.

“Did you hear what I've been saying? It's nothing to get overly worried about,” his dad, ever the strong one when it came to the two of them, said evenly.

Stiles knew that his dad was worried, knew that he was worried about how Stiles was dealing with all this. So as to not worry his father any more he tried to put on a cheerful face even though his dad couldn't see him. Maybe if he looked happy he'd feel happy, that was what all the psychology books had said. Something about smiling activating the something in his mind making him feel better. God, he felt so stupid. He should know these things, he was after all in a medical career.

“You still there?” his dad asked for the second time since starting the conversation. He knew his dad could hear him breathing so it was a moot question. “Hello, Stiles?”

Stiles cleared his throat once more and took a slow deep breath before saying, “Yeah, I'm still here dad. Just, trying to process this all. I mean last night we were all laughs at the wedding and the whole time you knew this and you didn't say a damn word.” Stiles felt the first wave of anger growing in his chest. He knew it was a coping mechanism, a horrible one, and that he wasn't truly angry at anyone but the universe. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I didn't want to ruin Scott and Allison's day. Everyone was so happy and I just...” Stiles could almost see the way his dad was running his hand down his face and rubbing at the stubble that was gracing his chin. “I didn't want to upset anyone. It was supposed to be a happy day.”

“How long have you known?” Stiles blurted, wondering how many other opportunities his dad had passed up to give him this horrible news. That thought alone fanned the flame of anger he was feeling.

He heard the sigh, the quick intake of breath before it ran out in an almost exaggerated manner. “It's been a few days since I got the results. Like I said, I didn't want to ruin anything. You kids have been all excited for the wedding and I didn't want anything bad to get in the way of that. It's been a tough road for you and Scott and Allison. I mean what with losing a parent somehow. I just wanted you to have a day that wasn't marred by bad news.”

Stiles understood, more than he cared to admit. He knew that they all would understand, all of his friends. “I get it, I do, but you still should have told me.” While his voice was even and normal in tone, the implication behind it was meant to tell his father he was angry about not knowing sooner.

“Probably, but the fact is I didn't and now I am. At least I told you before the fact rather than after,” his father commented in an evenly heated tone.

Understanding the barb meant to be aimed at Allison, Stiles knew what his father was getting at. Allison hadn't known her mother was mentally sick until after she had killed herself when they all had been in high school. “Dad, don't start with that again. Ally's had a rough go of it with her aunt and then her mom. This situation isn't the same and you damn well know it.”

“Stiles, I'm not going to argue with you. I was trying to spare some painful emotions on a day that supposed to be happy, so sue me.” With that, Stiles heard the click of the phone disconnecting and stood there looking at his cell in disbelief. His dad wasn't one to hang up first, even in anger. It was usually Stiles who did and always ended up being called back until they resolved the issue. Sadly, he knew that calling his dad back wouldn't work, he wouldn't pick up and would blame it on work or something.

Fighting the urge to throw his cell against the wall and watch it shatter, he gripped the phone hard in his hand before tossing it gently onto the couch where it bounced a few times before settling. He refused to cry, despite the great urge he had to do so and instead strode to his bed room where he began to get ready for his day. It wouldn't help to dwell on something he couldn't handle right this second. If he took the time to sit down and actually process what he'd heard from his father he knew he wouldn't be making it into work and he couldn't afford to lose his job.

~~~~~~~

While the day went on pretty much as they always did, Stiles found himself thinking more and more about the news his father had given him. The news was truly upsetting the more he sat there and thought about it. He had spent a very good portion of his life trying to make sure his dad didn't die, to make sure he was as healthy for as long as humanly possible. He had been more worried, after his mother died, that his dad would drink himself to the point of liver damage or worse, death. He worried about his diet after that, the fact that his dad ate greasy cheeseburgers and fries at night when he was working didn't help the worry that Stiles felt about an impending heart attack. He'd managed to get father's eating habits under control, though since he'd moved out he wasn't so sure how well his dad stuck to the diet.

Now, of all the things it could have been and should have been, cancer hadn't even crossed his mind. From what he knew both sides of his family were rather cancer free, save for a case of lung cancer caused by smoking somewhere on his mother's side. His mother had died on a type of dementia which was as far from cancer as one could get.

All his effort to keep his dad healthy, which had worked for the longest time, had been for nothing. Healthy living couldn't always keep a person's body from turning against them. That's how cancer worked according to what Stiles had been reading over the last few hours of downtime he'd had at the station. Cells began to rapidly produce in a strange manner causing growths that just kept growing until they spread all over the body. While most cancer was manageable in today's age, it was still hit or miss and it depended on the person and the stage the particular cancer was in. Some cancers were more aggressive than others no matter the stage they were caught in while others, if caught soon enough, could be put into remission for decades if not for the rest of the patient's life.

“You alright?” a female voice startled him out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present moment. He sat on the couch in the fire house, his phone now dark in his hand, the screen having shut off as he had drifted off into his own mind. He blinked up at Lydia, a long time friend from high school. Well rather, a former crush turned close friend.

“Yeah,” he answered almost automatically. Funny how that response became the norm even when he wasn't alright. “What are you doing here at...” he checked his watch, “Three Thirty? Don't you have a class to teach?” he asked, patting the couch cushion beside him to which the redhead daintily flopped herself down with a huff of air.

“Nope, end of the semester, remember? All the kids going home for the summer, eagerly awaiting what final grade I gave them,” she grinned in an almost maniacal manner, as if enjoying the fact that her college students feared her as much as they either respected or hated her.

Stiles rolled his eyes and tried to smile. Time with Lydia wasn't often now that they were adults. College had been rough on all of them, the high school bonds slowly having formed until they had become inseparable by their senior year. Somehow, by some stroke of luck or fate, they had all ended up back in Beacon Hills and for the first year or so after college and starting careers, they had spent so much time around one another that it was like high school all over again. Sadly, the years had passed and time became more precious as relationships bloomed or completely blossomed. Scott had just gotten married, Lydia was dating a deputy who worked under his father, and his other friends were even starting to toy with the idea of settling down. Now here he was, alone at the fire house because his best friend and EMT partner was on his honeymoon, and his new partner was either in the bathroom or out on a food run or something. He wasn't quite sure, much of that day had been a haze.

“So, you alright?” Lydia asked again after a few minutes of peaceful silence. That was the good thing about Stiles. He was quiet when she needed quiet and he was nosy when she needed distraction. Yet, she knew him and she knew the difference between him being silent for her sake and silent because something was bothering him.

Stiles sighed, knowing he needed someone else to talk with. This wasn't something he wanted to deal with alone and since his dad would only try to persuade him to stop worrying and his best friend wasn't there, Lydia was the best option. She would hear him out, let him vent, and then tell him what he needed to hear. As proper as Lydia Martin could be, she was never one to beat around the bush when it was serious.

“My dad has cancer,” he whispered into the quiet living space of the fire house. He knew the guys on duty where somewhere off in the other rooms, playing card games or on their laptops. He was safe speaking where he was, no one was going to walk in at least not unannounced. Lord knew the other guys were louder than all get out.

“Repeat that,” Lydia blurted, stunned at the statement.

“I'd rather not,” Stiles admitted, rubbing a hand over his face much in the same manner his dad often did. Scott had once commented about it when they were in college. He hadn't ever stopped to realize how much like his dad he was. Of course, now of all times, he had to think about it and all it did was make him intensely sad and distraught.

“When did you find out?” she asked, knowing it was probably better for him to speak about this than let it fester until he broke down. She'd seen him in full break down mode and it wasn't pretty. Then again they had all broken down at one point or another in front of each other.

Stiles sighed, leaning his head back. “This morning, he just called and sprung it on me like he was talking about a football game,” he snorted at the notion. “Like it was nothing, like cancer is fucking nothing to be concerned about.”

Lydia shifted so that one of her legs was tucked underneath her, despite the skirt that she wore. Her heels had long ago hit the floor to make herself more comfortable. “But that's your father, he's always been like that. Rip the band-aid off and go kind of man.”

“Yeah, but sometimes if the band-aid is large enough you have to soften the adhesive with water. I'd have preferred that method rather than the blow he gave me,” Stiles admitted, hurt and angry at his father as much as he was scared and worried. “He's all I have left, you know.”

“I know,” Lydia soothed, a manicured hand coming to land on his arm where it rubbed softly. “But he's a strong man, like you. Look at what you two have been through, losing your mom and then his dive into the bottle.” Leave it to the redhead to get straight to the point, no malice behind her words, just a kind reminder of the past. “You helped him come back from that Stiles. This won't be any different. You just need to let him know you're there without fretting.”

“I never fret,” he scoffed, feeling the flush in his cheeks at his own lie.

Lydia rolled her eyes, “Every back yard and block party or get together all I hear is you harping on your dad about his diet and stress.”

“That's not fretting, that's being a good child.”

Lydia laughed and leaned further back into the couch, her eyes roaming over the ceiling before she closed them. “He'll be fine Stiles.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “He said it was in the early stages. He's got surgery slated for next week. The doctor's are hopeful from what he told me. I just...” he sighed again, reaching out to take her hand which she readily laced with her own. They were like siblings now, especially since Stiles had learned a little factoid about himself in college. While he liked women, he enjoyed men a lot more.

“I know,” she whispered, just holding his hand as they sat there.

If anyone noticed, they never mentioned it given the fact that Stiles had tears running down his cheeks and Lydia's mascara was starting to smudge.

~~~~~~~

After a very long and boring shift, Lydia took Stiles out for dinner. It wasn't a date, or anything like that. It was just two friends having dinner at a fancy restaurant trying to keep their minds off particularly startling news. Usually they got to together to have dinner like this about twice a month and usually it wasn't just Stiles and Lydia. It was usually the whole group: Stiles, Lydia, Jordan, Scott, Allison, Kira, and Liam. Sadly, Scott and Allison were on their honey moon, Jordan had to work the overnight shift at the sheriff's station, Kira had left with her family for a visit after the wedding, and Liam was on call at the hospital given that he was an intern. So that left Lydia and Stiles all alone to deal with this and have dinner.

Neither of them minded, they were comfortable in the silence as forks and knives clinked against expensive glass dishes. A chilled wine bottle kept their glasses full and idle talk kept them busy. Stiles told a few humorous stories about his work and Lydia shared stories about some annoying students she had taught that semester. It was easy to use small talk to avoid what Stiles was feeling and Lydia knew this, indulging in the male ritual of avoidance. She had yet to fully understand why men did that, including her own fiance, Jordan. If it worked as a coping mechanism then so be it, she would let him avoid the topic until he felt like talking about it more. She was surprised she'd gotten so much out of him that afternoon.

As their dinner drew to a close with the sun fully set outside, they decided that coffee and dessert were a good idea in order to allow some of the alcohol to leave their systems. With Stiles' dad as the sheriff and Lydia's soon-to-be-husband a deputy, they both figured DUI wasn't a very smart idea, and both of them were pretty smart.

They fought over who was going to pay the check. Usually on nights where it was the whole group they would have the waiter split the bill, if it was just a few of them it was usually the one who pulled out their card or cash first. If it was two, well one or the other usually ponied up the money. He didn't want Lydia to have to pay because while she made a good amount of money as a college professor that didn't mean she always had money. She was still helping her parents out of that financial hole they'd put themselves in. Despite everyone telling her to let them suffer their own mistakes, she wasn't the type of daughter to do that. Stiles made less than Lydia yearly, but he often had more money sitting around. He'd been smart, he had taken out grants and scholarships for school, refused to get a new car and stuck with his Jeep, never once touched a credit card, and only really paid his rent which already included most of his utilities. The only thing he actively paid for was his cable and internet and Netflix as well as for video games.

After twenty minutes of sibling type bickering it was finally decided that Stiles would pay for dinner but Lydia would pay for the dessert. It was a good enough compromise that Stiles didn't fight it but Lydia still grumbled about how dinner had been her idea so she should at least pay for it in total. Stiles had snorted, told her not a chance and waved the waiter back over. After another ten minutes they were out the door and into the warm night air.

Stiles had been happy he'd settled with shorts and a short sleeve button down, feeling the heat of summer starting to move in. It was going to be a hot few months and even at the end of May it was starting to become more and more oppressive. Soon it would be the point where going outside would be a chore rather than something he honestly enjoyed.

“Wanna go home?” Lydia asked, rising her voice over the din of the other pedestrians walking up and down the street chatting away loudly either to their friends or on the phone. It was a normal Sunday night downtown and honestly they were both happy for the hustle of people. Stiles didn't want to be alone, even if he was just surrounded by random people on the street. Lydia was good company but he knew she wasn't going through something like this. Yet, the people on the street. There might have been someone going through the same thing, maybe even going through it personally. It made him feel a little bit better about this, even if the situation hadn't fully set in.

“Yeah, that might be a good idea,” he stated after a moment of walking. Lydia had parked a good distance away in a small parking garage. They knew they would have been drinking and the decent walk they would have to make would give the alcohol even more time work through their systems.

Lydia smiled gently, knowing that he needed a friend right now and he needed to talk even if he didn't think he needed to. “You doing okay with all this?” she prompted quietly, lacing her arm through his as they typically did whenever it was the two of them, or when Jordan wasn't with them. Her deputy sheriff didn't see any harm in their relationship, he knew that Stiles preferred men and knew that Lydia loved Stiles like a brother. That was the truth, simple as that. So when Lydia melded herself closer to Stiles it was more comfort than anything, for the both of them. She leaned her head on his arm as they walked, looking like a couple but only they knew that they were anything but that.

“I'm dealing, not so sure it's all settled in,” he admitted, to himself and to Lydia. “It's a lot to process, especially since knowing what my dad has gone through and lived through.” He shook his head gently, tightening his grip on Lydia. She was a security blanket now that Scott was away, not that Scott would have been much help. He'd have probably been freaking out more than Stiles was.

“He's a strong man, Stiles. You've kept him healthy and that alone should help. You said he was in the early stages. He's better off than most,” Lydia tried to sooth, her voice soft yet hard enough that she knew it would get through to him.

Stiles sighed. “I know, trust me. I've told myself a hundred times since this morning.”

Lydia nodded, knowing that he was telling the truth. “Does anyone else know?”

He shrugged. “My dad,” he snorted at his own joke, “His doctors of course. Me and you. I don't know if anyone else does and I'm not in the mood to tell anyone else. If you hadn't of came when you did I probably wouldn't have told anyone.”

“Glad I'm the one you can confide in,” she said honestly as they waited on the sidewalk at the crosswalk. “You know, I'm always here.”

“I know Lydia,” he turned to give her a soft smile, lightly patting the hand tucked on his arm. “Thank you.” He wondered if she had any idea how much he was thankful for her.

“Not a problem. Now lets get you home safe and sound. Tonight, just try to get some rest and forget this situation, if only for a few hours,” she instructed lightly.

Stiles snorted, refusing to actually say that it was going to be impossible to actually do that. It was better to let the redhead believe that he would do as she said even if he knew that she knew he wasn't actually going to get any sleep that night, and for the nights to come.

The rest of the walk was silent and comfortable, as was the drive home. Lydia dropped him off in front of his building in the center of town, giving a wave as she drove away to head to her empty house where she'd pass out on the couch waiting for Jordan to get home. He headed inside where he grabbed a beer, kicked off his shoes and flopped himself onto his own couch where he promptly turned on the television. If he wasn't going to sleep for a while he might as well pass the time watching useless shows and trying not to actually think about anything. The beer and mindless television helped until he was sprawled out on his couch hours later, sleeping like a baby for what would probably be the last time for weeks to come.

~~~~~~~

Stiles wasn't sure if it was a show of defiance or just a childish urge, but he refused to call his father in the days following their last conversation. He figured if his dad really wanted to talk to him than he would call first. It was his dad who had hung up on him after all, so in Stiles' mind it was his dad's job to give him a call first, not vice versa. While that was probably the stupidest things Stiles had ever made himself believe, he also knew he was helping him cope with the new hell that had become his life.

Since the day of the call and the dinner with Lydia, he had been in an almost walking zombie state. He heard people talk, he often responded, but he wasn't fully there. He spent his free time on the computer looking up everything he could on his father's new condition and refreshing his medical training as best he could with the few text books he could find hidden around his apartment. He had barely talked to any of his friends, having had several missed phone calls from Scott and the others. Work was tedious and had gotten to the point where he was willing to cash in a few of his stock-piled sick days. He just...he just wanted to crawl into his bed most days and stay there, to scared of what news the world would hold if he went outside.

It was stupid to feel that way, he knew that. He wasn't one to fear much, but this, the thought of losing his father...it scared him to his core. He'd already lost his mother and he was struggling with the thought of losing his dad. He knew, from what he'd researched so far, that his dad had a good chance of seeing old age, but that didn't stop the little voice in the back of his head from telling him his dad was going to die and he would be left alone. He couldn't even begin to think of how he would handle that and he sure as hell didn't want to find out how he would deal with it.

So if escaping the world by not wanting to go outside or talk to anyone helped him cope for a little while, to live in a little bubble of denial he was going to do that until he could handle everything.

Of course, as life would have it, on one of the days where he could have called in sick, he'd gone to work and landed himself at a hit-and-run car accident where his father happened to be. For the most part Stiles had managed to ignore his father, who he knew was watching him with a hawk like precision as they both went about their respective work. The scene wasn't that bad, the driver of the car was a twenty eight year old man who only had a few bruises on his arms from the air bag and no mention of head or neck pain. The passenger was his eighteen year old kid brother who, aside from a nasty looking bruise forming on his chest from his seat belt, was otherwise fine. The car was even in good shape but given the nature of the accident the police and the paramedics had been called.

As Stiles was writing a few more things on the chart for the eighteen year old, he heard his father call his name. Trying his best to be a child and ignore him, he heard a sharper tone used and whipped his head up to look at his dad walking towards him. He cursed himself and the knee-jerk reaction to that parental tone that all kids seem to understand at a base level.

“You're avoiding me,” the Sheriff said, eyeing his son up and down. “You also haven't been eating much or sleeping.”

Stiles blinked, scoffed, and snapped the fold-able clipboard in his hands shut. “I don't know what you're talking about. I've been busy with work.”

“Don't you brush me off, Stiles,” his dad warned tightly.

“Like I said,” Stiles started, trying to put steel into his voice but knowing he lacked the conviction to actually be angry with his dad. “I've been busy.”

“Lydia told me that she knows,” if looks could kill the Sheriff knew that Lydia would be dead. Thankfully the redhead could hold her own against Stiles, even more so since she often put him in his place when angry. “She's worried. You haven't talked to anyone since I told you and that was nearly a week ago. I called your boss and he said you've been off lately, distracted and distant. Stiles, we need to talk.”

“You're right,” Stiles blinked, confused as to where the words came from. He had intended to actually tell his dad to go to hell before walking off but like he lacked the will to be angry, he also lacked the will to be disrespectful to his father. “My shift ends at eight. I'll cook and you can meet me at my place around nine.”

The Sheriff smiled, relieved that Stiles was agreeing to sit down and talk with him. “I'll see you then.”

“Dad,” Stiles called as his father began to walk away. “I'm sorry for...” he started when his father cut him off with a small hand gesture. Stiles felt himself truly smile for the first time in a little under a week.

He never did like being on the outs with his dad.

~~~~~~~

Eight o'clock rolled around before he knew it and Stiles was standing in front of his stove making what would probably be either the best or worst meal of his life. Stiles could, in a pinch, cook a four star meal but he often got so distracted the meal could go from restaurant worthy to trash material in under two minutes. It had happened more often than it didn't. He really hated having ADHD, especially now that he was an adult.

Tonight though, he managed to keep his head in the game and was piling steamed vegetables onto two plates of lemon pepper baked chicken. The wild rice blend he loved to make was still cooking and waiting for the sauce to be added when it was done. He figured everything would be done when it needed to be done just as the door bell rang. It never failed to amaze him that growing up he had come and gone so easily from his dad's house but now that he had a place of his own his dad rang the door bell or knocked. He had tried a million and one times to give his dad a key but the man had refused on the grounds that Stiles was a grown adult and didn't need his father dropping in.

So, as usual, he ran to the door, praying that the rice wouldn't do something stupid while he was gone, and swung it open. He smiled at his father before frowning when he saw bottle of whiskey. He knew that his father shouldn't be drinking and was about to say something when his dad handed it to him, stating, “Peace offering.”

“You aren't drinking that,” Stiles said, taking the bottle anyways, understanding what his father meant by 'peace offering'. The two of them rarely fought and when they did, his dad often bought him something that he either wanted or liked. It was his dad's way of saying sorry. If Stiles was the one at fault he usually would just hug his father in apology, not having money to buy things when he had been younger. Now as an adult, his dad still bought him things and Stiles would still offer a hug.

His dad smiled and shook his head, “I knew you were going to say that.”

“You also know you aren't supposed to be drinking especially with surgery coming up, whenever that may be,” Stile said. He didn't mean for it to come up in such a bratty tone but it did. He was still angry with his dad but no where near as angry as he had been. They had a lot to talk about before Stiles was okay with the situation, or at least less angry about it.

“That's one of the reasons I wanted to talk,” the older man said as Stiles finally shut the door behind him, heading in the direction of the kitchen. By time his dad had made it there Stiles was pulling the pan of rice off the stove, giving it a quick mix with a fork before pouring the sauce mixture over it and stirring it one last time.

“So talk,” Stiles urged, plating the rice and taking the plates to the small table he'd bought on a thrift store run with Allison a few years back after he, Scott, and Allison had become roommates. That felt like such a long time ago and thinking about it now he realized that the apartment felt so large with them gone. They'd moved out a year ago and Stiles, able to afford the surprisingly low rent, stayed and kept the lease. He had turned the second room into a study/game room of sorts. Yet now, when he needed his friends the place felt too big for just one man.

“How has work been, well the days you were there?” Stiles knew that maneuver, he'd used it a hundred times in his youth, asking his dad about work instead of talking when they really needed to talk about something.

Giving his dad a pointed look, Stiles motioned to the food to which his dad did as told and sat down. “Work has been good, slow mostly and boring without Scott, but his flight comes into tomorrow so it'll be a lot less boring soon.” He watched his dad cut into the chicken and nod at his head as he listened. They stayed silent for a few minutes, Stiles eating and watching his dad who was just eating and avoiding eye contact. “Dad, this is the reason I got mad. Quit keeping things from me. I can handle whatever you're gonna throw at me.”

His dad nodded lightly, set his fork down, and finished chewing. “I have surgery scheduled for Monday. I check into the hospital Sunday so they can run test and make sure I'm okay to go under. I'll be there for a few days after.”

“When does the actual treatment start?” Stiles asked, feeling sick to his stomach while talking but knowing he needed to eat. His dad hadn't been wrong about him not eating properly or sleeping. He was an emotional wreck and when that happened he would stop sleeping and eating. He had done the same thing after his mom had died.

“They'll run some tests, see what needs to be done after surgery and give me a round about date for treatment. Either way I'm going to need it, even if it just ends up being a precaution. Right now I'm in good shape. Told me I'm in good physical condition and my immune system is where it should be,” the man added, watching Stiles' face go from concerned to smug in under ten seconds.

“'Course, you had me looking out for you,” his face dropped as it did when he thought about all this. “Sadly not good enough.” He began to poke at the snow pea on his plate.

“Stiles,” his dad said, reaching across the table to put his hand over his son's. He waited until Stiles looked at him. “This isn't your fault, you didn't somehow cause this. My father's side of the family has a history of cancer. Thankfully it's been caught early enough.”

Stiles tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace as he tried to eat more of the chicken before it grew too cold to actually be considered edible. They sat now, once more, in silence as they both finished dinner.

As they were doing dishes together, Stiles washing and his dad drying, Stiles blurted, “I still have a stack of unused vacation days, what time Sunday are you going in?”

“Stiles,” his dad started, knowing where this was going. Stiles didn't need to be taking days off just for him.

“Dad,” Stiles turned to him seriously. “It's not like I'm calling in sick and not getting paid. These days are mine and if I don't use them by the end of the year I'm going to be forced to take a vacation or cash them out. Seems better than to use them while I actually want to.”

“I thought your vacation days rolled over?”

“They're supposed to but I guess three years is kinda the limit according to the county,” Stiles chuckled, knowing that it was just because the county didn't like the idea of him having nearly a months worth of stocked up vacation days to use, possibly all at once just to piss them off. “So I've got the time and I figured you could use someone there and why not have your son there?”

“Fine,” his dad conceded, “I go in Sunday at noon. Melissa is going to be one of my nurses, the one in charge actually,” he smiled at that fact.

Stiles knew that smile, it was his dad's smitten smile. Scott and Stiles both knew that their parents liked one another but they also knew that they wouldn't get together because of them, something about crossing lines and confusing them. Really all they wanted was to see their parents happy and if they were happy together that was all that mattered to them. Maybe this would be a nice shove that they both clearly needed.

“I'll be there,” Stiles promised, knowing he would be there and most likely cause hell for Melissa and any other poor nurse who happened to be there. Stiles was a fret-er. He liked to fret over his father and worry and spaz out. It was just how he was. “Now, what do you want for dessert?”

“Have any of the cheesecake you always make, the lemon chocolate one?” his dad asked, eyes pleading with Stiles to say that he did have it. Tonight was his lucky night. Stiles had made one the other day mostly out of boredom, not realizing that he would actually needed it.

~~~~~~~

Derek was making his rounds. He had only been there for a little over an hour and he was already exhausted. He loved his job, he honestly did, but today was just a mess. He didn't like working the oncology ward, having found himself mostly working the ER given his specialty. However, after the accident last year, he had been moved several times in an attempt to fine where he fit best since he was no longer felt comfortable in the ER. He had been rotated so many times he swore his head was spinning. He worked so many different floors he was getting tired of it. It was only his second day in the oncology ward and he was worn out.

It wasn't that he hated it, it was more than he wasn't a fan of it. It was more the atmosphere that threw him off than anything else. Patients who were angry or resigned or hopeless coupled with the families of the patients, also angry and yelling or sad and crying. He wasn't bad with crying people, he just dealt better with being yelled at. Or at least he thought so.

He knew, though, that he dealt better with patients which was what drew him to the ER in the first place. There, in the ER, he had to focus on the patients, not the family members in the background. That wasn't saying he didn't deal with the families, he did quite often actually, but it was nothing like this. He'd once tried to explain it to his friends, to his sisters, but no one seemed to understand him. In fact, none of them understand why he just hadn't become a doctor instead of a nurse. He had tried to tell them that despite having passed the tests and knowing he could pull off medical school, he just didn't feel that was where he wanted to be. Doctors might help save people but the nurses where the ones who did the real job. They were the ones doing almost everything. He wanted to be that hands on, he wanted to be the one people saw all the time, not just a doctor who only saw them during rounds. He liked the idea of being a nurse, despite the horrible stereo type and stigma that came along with it.

Thankfully, over time his family and friends had realized why he was doing what he was doing. They had accepted his choice despite not fully understanding why he had made it. He figured he would never get them to understand but he was happy they had stopped hassling him about it, though his oldest sister Laura kept asking about hot doctors or any other male nurses who weren't gay. That last bit was always a barb aimed at him but he knew it was meant in good fun. He had long ago accepted who he was and so had his family.

“Jesus Christ!”

His thoughts of his family and the great dislike he felt for the ward he was in, were broken by the sound of the curse coming from behind a partially closed door just down the hall. He was the on-call nurse for the room, the Sheriff of Beacon Hills who had been admitted for routine tests before his surgery tomorrow. Derek was going to be the nurse on-call tomorrow for the man and for the few days following that. Something about Melissa saying she needed someone strong enough to handle both patient and son. He didn't know what that meant but given that the voice he had heard didn't belong to the Sheriff (lord knew he'd had enough run-ins with him in his youth) he was betting he was about to meet the son Melissa had been talking about.

“You've run every fucking test possibly, why would you need more blood?” the voice snarled in a tone that Derek hadn't heard in a while, from himself or anyone else for that matter. Usually the angry tones he heard were more pained and scared, this was just anger and a touch of worry with so much bite that he worried he'd lose his head if he interrupted.

He didn't get a chance to hear what the doctor in the room said but he heard a round of cursing and finally knew he needed to go see what was going on and maybe intervene. He pushed the door open, seeing a very embarrassed Sheriff in the bed and a tall thin man about Derek's age glaring holes at the middle aged doctor who looked very flustered. He knew the doctor, knew he wasn't often rattled, but this man clearly had thrown him off.

“Who the hell are you?” the tall man turned to Derek. Derek was surprised his entrance had been noticed but tried to keep his face blank of shock. He'd met hyper-vigilant people before in this line of work and they never stopped amazing him.

Watching the man glare at him, Derek had to hold up his hands in a gesture of peacefulness. He'd seen this reaction before, mostly in the adult children of patients. “I'm Derek, I'm one of the on-call nurses for the oncology ward. I'm assigned to the Sheriff's room today and for the next few days,” he explained before asking, “You are?”

“His son,” the man hissed, pointing at the Sheriff in the bed. There seemed to be some underlying hostility that Derek didn't even want to ask about.

“Sorry,” the Sheriff apologized for his son's behavior giving the man a withering glance. “This is Stiles. He's being an ass but he's usually not this disagreeable.”

“I am when the doctor can't get his head out of his ass and do what needs to be done.” Stiles bit out.

“Sir,” the doctor started but stopped when Stiles just held up a hand.

“Don't sir me,” he grumbled. “I'm a trained paramedic who works for with this hospital. I know the amount of blood needed for the gambit of tests you need to run and the nurse before this one,” he jerked his thumb towards Derek who wisely didn't say anything, just raised a brow at Stiles' tone. “Took enough blood and then some. So don't tell me he needs to have more blood drawn because anemia is looking like a possible issue in the near future if you can't get your shit together.”

The doctor, flabbergasted at his treatment, looked to the Sheriff. “I'll come back in a little bit, after he calms down or leaves.” Out the doctor went, Stiles cursing behind him and flopping himself into one of the large chairs in the private room.

“Stiles, can you just not?” the Sheriff sighed. “If I knew you were going to be like this I'd have made you go to work instead of harass the doctors and nurses. If you're going to continue acting like you're ten, you can go home and I'll call you after surgery tomorrow.”

Derek, feeling a little awkward standing there and not knowing what to do, cleared his throat getting both their attention. “I know Dr. Sell. He's a good doctor, good at what he does and helpful. He can come off as a little flighty but overall he does know what he's doing. If he needs another vial of blood than let him take it. It's possible it's not even his fault, a test could have shown something weird and they want to rerun it but need more blood or the lab screwed up.”

“You said your name was Derek, right?” the Sheriff asked, a concentrated look on his face that said he was trying to remember Derek. It took a moment but when he did realize who Derek was it was like a light bulb went off. “Derek Hale, vandalism and possession when you were what, sixteen?”

Derek flushed red but didn't lie. “Yes, sir. Not my best choices but I blame my older sister's example.”

“How is Laura?” the Sheriff asked, remembering that his older sister had spent many a night in the drunk tank or a holding cell for very stupid things.

Smiling now, Derek chuckled, “She's good. Married last year, pregnant with her first kid.”

“And your younger sister?” Through all this Stiles was looking between Derek and his father laying in the bed like they were both insane. Derek found that alone adorable, the way his brows furrowed and his mouth was drawn into a pout, how his messy brown hair was sticking up every which way as if he had run his hands through it a dozen times, with his arms now crossed against a lean chest clad in a dark blue tee shirt. Yep, Stiles was cute alright and Derek knew he needed to stop those thoughts in their tracks.

“Cora,” he reminded the Sheriff. “She's dealing alright. Joined the peace corp after college and is down in South America right now. She'll be coming home for Christmas and Laura and I are hoping she'll stick around.”

“You're mom and dad would be proud of all of you,” the Sheriff said softly.

Derek nodded sadly, “I know,” and as if a light turned on, Stiles' face went from curious and grumpy to realizing who Derek was. If the last name hadn't clued him in, than the fact that his parents were dead sure did. Stiles was at least four years younger than Derek. They'd never gone to school together, but Derek knew that Stiles had heard about the fire that had killed his parents, his aunt, and several family friends.

“So, you're a nurse now?” the Sheriff prompted, seeing the sadness in Derek's eyes at his previous statement. He also didn't fail to notice the look on his son's face, a mix of sympathy and curiosity replacing the annoyance and anger.

“Yeah, after my idiot phase as a kid I decided my brain would be put to better use helping people rather than doing stupid things,” Derek smiled now, still a little melancholy but he was feeling better. “Sorry, I don't mean to cut this short, but I've got rounds to make since I just got here. I should probably get going.”

“Sure. I'll buzz if I need anything, and I promise not to act like him,” the Sheriff pointed at Stiles who only rolled his eyes, a hint of a smile teasing his lips as he looked at his father fondly.

Derek chuckled, shaking his head and telling him he'd be back later. He closed the door behind him and started to walk down the hall, headed for the rooms he needed to go to next. He didn't hear the sound of the Sheriff's room being opened but he didn't hear name being called.

He turned around to see Stiles, walking at a fast pace towards him. He was even leaner than Derek had noticed before, all legs and arms, but not at all awkward like he had probably been growing up. His face was covered in a light scruff, probably from worrying about his father which was normal. The bags under his eyes were darker than they should have been but Derek wasn't going to say anything. What he was going through was hard enough.

“Yes?” he prompted when Stiles finally stood in front of him. He watched as the lanky man stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“I just...” he stammered before sighing as his shoulders slumped. “I wanted to say I was sorry. I was a jackass in there and I shouldn't have been, especially to you.”

“And the doctor,” Derek defended, finding his apologetic face adorable. He looked like a puppy who had been kicked and was sorry for whatever it thought it had done.

“And him too,” Stiles grumbled out, but Derek knew he did actually mean it.

“It's okay, I get it. I really do. This is stressful and everyone reacts differently. You just caught me off guard. Frankly, I'll take anger over tears any day,” Derek laughed a little at himself. He was always honest, even to strangers. It was easier that way.

Stiles laughed now, smiling slightly and rocking on his heels. “Well I should probably let you go do what you need to do. I just wanted to tell you I was sorry for being an ass.”

“Do you have anyone to talk to about all this?” Derek asked suddenly, knowing that look all to well, a look of loneliness and fear.

Stiles shrugged. “Sorta, I guess. I have my friends but they're mostly freaking out just as much as I am. I've talked with my friend Lydia,” he added, a soft smile on his face that had Derek wanting to frown. Lydia was probably his girlfriend. “But she doesn't understand. She's dealing with her boyfriend who is suddenly having to take temporary leadership at the sheriff's office. I can talk to my dad but since he's the one going through this so it's kind of difficult.”

Derek sighed, nodding a little. He'd been in this man's shoes before, not having anyone who could actually understand. He'd had his sisters when his parents died but talking with them was like talking with himself. They were sad and lost and lonely. He hadn't had anyone outside his sisters to talk to until he'd found his circle of friends in college, which had grown in the four years he had been there and to now.

“If you want to have coffee my break is at five. We can met in the cafe downstairs and you can vent.” Derek said, regretting it almost instantly. He knew he should not get involved with patients or their families. It wasn't against any written rule but it did cross an unspoken line of sorts among the nurses and the doctors.

Stiles seemed to brighten at the prospect, “That would really be nice.”

“See you later. I know where to find you,” Derek grinned and turned away as Stiles headed back to his father's room. Derek was really hoping this wasn't going to end badly.

~~~~~~~

Derek was half expecting Stiles not to meet him at the Starbucks downstairs but was pleasantly surprised when he walked through the doors, head scanning the crowd and smiling when his honey coloured eyes landed on Derek. He felt a rush in his stomach he hadn't felt in a very long time and for a moment Derek forgot how to breath. Stile was probably one of the most attractive men he had seen in a while.

“Hey,” Stiles called, coming to stand by the table Derek was currently seated at. “You didn't order anything?” he sounded almost confused.

“My mother always taught me to wait, that ordering before the other party was rude,” Derek said, standing up and watching as the table was eagerly grabbed up by a bunch of interns who looked more sleep deprived than Derek could have ever claimed to be. Thus another reason added to the list of why he didn't want to be a doctor. He'd be sure to tell both Laura and Cora that if he remembered.

“What if I hadn't shown?” Stiles prompted as they got in line behind an old couple arguing over whether or not the coffee here was better than what was served in the cafeteria.

Derek shrugged, “I wouldn't have gotten coffee. It would have killed me, but I'd have survived.”

Stiles shook his head. “I live off coffee when I'm working. If I was ever deprived of it I would rip my partner's head off.” Derek laughed like he was supposed to because he could see Stiles doing that, if his beratement of the doctor was anything to go by. “Scott says I have an addiction.”

Derek, frowned. “Is Scott your...” he trailed off.

Stiles sputtered, flushed red, and then laughed loud enough that the couple in front of them turned to glare. “God no, Scott is my best friend. I could never be with him like that. It's just too weird.”

Hopeful, Derek smiled. “Yeah, friends don't always make the best partners, hetero or otherwise.”

“Not always true. Scott and his new wife Allison are the best of friends,” Stiles stated proudly.

Derek rose a brow. “Were they friends before they started dating?”

“Not really, just kinda hit it off and away they went back in high school. They've been together ever since and honestly I think they are closer than even Scott and I ever were. Obvious reasons,” Stiles added, flushing slightly.

“It's nice to hear that. Romantic partners should always be friends,” Derek said, hoping he wasn't hinting too hard. He was never comfortable asking people if they were gay or straight or otherwise. He just found it odd and intrusive to ask.

“So, you have a friend you're romantic with?” Stiles asked, offhandedly in an almost teasing manner. He wasn't about to admit that he was pushing for more information as well. However, neither of them seemed to be very subtle about it and the smirks each of the wore seemed to prove they knew the others response to the yet-to-be asked question.

“Nope, haven't found the right guy,” Derek said, listening the gasp of the old couple in front of them. Either he didn't care or he heard enough of those surprised noises to not care any more about what people thought.

“Neither have I,” Stiles stated, “Guy or girl really, doesn't matter to me.”

Surprised once more, Derek started, “So you're...”

Nodding, Stiles smiled, “Yep, more so men I guess and you?”

“Heavily favor men” he said realizing they were trying to be sensitive about the matter given that they were in fact in public. It wasn't a comfortable topic in any situation and having it out in the open made Derek slightly nervous. Stiles seemed less phased about this but then again Stiles seemed to be the type of person who said 'to hell with everyone one'. “That clears that up,” Derek muttered after a moment.

“So much,” Stiles spoke softly and with much exaggeration. He seemed almost happy now as they stood there, waiting to be called to the counter. It wasn't uncomfortable, at least not for them, maybe a little awkward but not uncomfortable in the least. For a few others, on the other hand, it might have been.

Once they reached the front of the line, Derek refused to let Stiles paying, having stated that he offered to talk so he should pay. Stiles relented and allowed Derek to pay but made a promise to pay the next time they went out for coffee or whatever, his words exactly. It left Derek with an oddly hopeful feeling that maybe, just maybe something could happen.

It was a surprise when they managed to find a spot in a secluded corner, way from people and quiet enough that they could hear one another talk at a normal level while being across from each other. It was a prime spot and by the looks they were given they weren't the most liked people in the cafe.

“How is my dad, really?” Stiles started, playing with the lip of his coffee cup. “Not the bullshit him and the doctor's keep giving me, but the truth,” Stiles added after a few more moments of silence.

Derek sighed, remembering the reason he had asked Stiles for coffee, “From what I read on the chart he's actually doing really good. Everything seems to be withing normal range. His blood pressure is a little high but most patients tend to have elevated bp while staying here. It's stressful. All his other test came back good. The mass isn't that large, they are mostly worried about if it has spread or not which they'll know after the mass is removed completely. I'm sure he told you he'll have a few treatments after the surgery even if he seemed to be all clear, right?”

Stiles nodded, having to swallow a few times to clear the lump in his throat. “Yeah he told me. I did a lot of research after that.” He admitted, flushing lightly as if embarrassed. “I mean, I know generally what he's going to go through given my training but I didn't know everything. It's not something I generally deal with.”

“Did it help?” Derek asked, watching how Stiles tried to keep his eyes averted and away from meeting Derek's own.

With a light shrug of a thin shoulder, Derek saw Stiles deflate as if the bravado from early had just drained from his body. This left Stiles looking like the scared child he actually was. He was a young man scared for his father, scared for the future. Derek could relate. “In a way yes. I was angry with my dad at first. He knew long before he told me anything. He said he didn't want to ruin Scott's wedding by giving everyone the news. I can understand that but he should have at least told me, it's not like I was going to run to Scott and tell him everything. I'm not a complete idiot. He should have at least told me.” There was a hint of hurt there under the anger. “Sure I still would have melted down but I wouldn't have been mad at him for keeping this a secret from me.” Derek let him vent. “I mean, you can't just spring this on someone, especially someone who has a habit of over thinking shit to the point that it eats me alive inside. My mom and dad tried to keep her illness from me because I was a kid and maybe that was why I have this trust issue when it comes to medical news and my dad.”

Derek raised a brow, watching as the man's eyes clouded for a brief second at the mention of his mother. He hadn't known the Sheriff had lost his wife. Given the fact that Stiles said he had been young when his mother had passed meant that Derek hadn't been on the Sheriff's radar and by the time he was enough time had gone by that the Sheriff had healed. “I'm sorry for your mother, but parents have a habit of keeping things from us when we're young, and even as adults. It's a protective measure that I don't think they grow out of even as we ourselves become adults. They just try to adjust but their instinct is to keep use safe no matter how old we get or where we go.”

Stiles smiled softly, in an almost knowing way. “Yeah, I s'pose, but it still would have been nice not to have been blindsided with the news the day after my best friend's wedding. It hurt more than anything to know that he had been going through this by himself for days, if not weeks, before he finally told me. I think that's what pissed me off the most,” Stiles muttered, hands around the slowly cooling coffee before finally taking his first sip.

“Of course. It's going to hurt, not the betrayal but the fact that someone close to you was hurting and you couldn't do anything for them because you didn't know. Now that you know, you can be there and hold their hand and let them know they aren't alone anymore.”

“Speaking from experience?” Stiles blurted before his eyes flew to Derek's face. He sputtered, “Sorry, that was rude. I shouldn't have asked. I have a habit of blurting random things without thinking. You don't have to answer.”

Derek decided a flustered Stiles was a very adorable Stiles, where as angry Stiles was hot. “No, it's fine,” he spoke, a soft and wistful smile on his face now, “And you're right. After our parents died I didn't know how bad my little sister was suffering. Laura was doing her best to hold everyone and everything together, her being the oldest of the three of us. My uncle had run off given that his own wife had died in the fire. That left Laura to take care of two teenagers. She did some stupid shit in her own grief, almost lost custody of us, but managed to pull her shit together before it was too late.” Derek looked down at his hands holding his cup before looking back up. “Sadly, through all of this Cora got lost in the madness, almost forgotten as we all grieved the loss of our parents, family, and friends. It wasn't until I found her cutting herself that I pulled myself out of my own darkness to help her find her way back. It hurt more knowing she was going through this alone instead of talking to us. We've all got our flaws, our own demons we deal with and sometimes we don't tell people and that hurts the ones who would like to know but didn't until it was almost too late, like you and I. Some people aren't as lucky as the two of us have been. Some people don't know until it really is too late.”

Stiles, still as stone now, stared at Derek in almost awe. Derek was slightly embarrassed that he had said so much and been so personal with a man he had just met that morning. Yet, there was something there, something unspoken between them. A shared loss, a shared pain, a shared history that left them tattered and bruised and led them to where they were now. It was enough to make Derek open up, to be vulnerable, to let someone into such a dark chapter of his life. He didn't state exactly what he had gone through but he had a feeling Stiles knew Derek had been in his own personal hell in order to not notice what his baby sister was going through. He figured that Stiles was either living in his own hell or had been there before. They'd reach that point if they continued their friendship...or whatever Derek wondered if this could be.

“I'm...” Stiles ran a hand over his face, either a nervous gesture or one of frustration and confusion. “I didn't know. I mean, I remember the case. I was still a kid but my dad was pretty torn up over it. I know my mom and your mom had known one another pretty well and then...well after my mom died my dad pretty much turned into a drunk hermit and I guess he lost touch with your family. Then..well the fire happened and you can figure that out.”

“Yeah, I knew your mom, sort of. Laura knew her better.”

Stiles smiled sadly. “How much older is Laura than you?”

Derek didn't answer at first. He was more confused as to how the conversation had turned from Stiles venting to personal questions that were more appropriate to a first date, not a casual cup of coffee on his lunch break. “About six years older than me. Cora is four years younger. About your age I think.”

“I don't remember her from school,” Stiles said, sipping at his coffee while Derek nodded and did the same.

“Like I said, she went through some stuff. She wasn't the most social of teenagers, kept to herself mostly,” Derek thought back, remembering she didn't come out of her shell until after college when she finally started dating and Malia finally came into their lives. Malia....she was a complicated case. She was their uncle Peter's daughter but no one could remember their aunt Amy having a child and they couldn't remember Peter ever having an affair because Amy would have been pissed beyond belief. A paternity test, forced by Laura, had proven that she was Peter's daughter. Cora had bonded almost instantly with the girl, who was her age. Malia was a bit of a handful, strong willed and harsh but she had managed to pull Cora out of the dark and into the light and for that everyone was thankful. In college Cora had found a tight group of friends her age and today those two groups mixed well. In fact one of Cora and Malia's closest friends was engaged to one of his close friends. It was an odd situation but he loved it.

Stiles nodded, “I can relate. After I lost my mom I sort of didn't want to be around people. I talked mostly to Scott and Lydia for a long while and then when highschool rolled around I started playing lacrosse and I found my niche. I guess everyone finds their place sooner or later.”

“Yeah, we all do.”

With that being said, they fell into silence as they finished their coffee. Derek checked his phone, noticing the time and wincing slightly. He knew he wouldn't be in trouble, Melissa was the charge nurse and knew where he was. That didn't mean he liked being late.

“You're late,” Stiles said lightly as they stood up to throw their cups away.

“A few minutes, yeah,” Derek admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders and a grin that betrayed the fact that he was in fact a little nervous about being late. “Melissa won't care...much.”

Stiles laughed, a full laugh that had Derek grinning. It was a sound he would like to hear more of if possible. “Gotta love Melissa,” he said after a moment before sighing as they headed down the hallways, out of the Starbucks. “Thanks for this, I needed it. We should do it again...maybe...” Stiles started. “Never mind, that's got to be against some kind of rule or something.”

Derek frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I was going to suggest we go out, like...I don't know,” embarrassed now, Stiles rubbed the back of his head and looked sheepishly at his feet. “A date, which is the most insane idea ever because I've never asked someone out after just meeting them. It's just...well...okay um, this has probably gotten weird now.”

Smiling, Derek stopped and waited for Stiles to realize he wasn't following any more. When Stiles did, he turned around and walked back to Derek looking him in the eyes, almost searching for something which Derek was sure he found when he broke out in a grin. “It's not weird, a little odd but not in a bad way. You're cute Stiles and a date would be nice.”

“Does that go against some kind of rule or something? Like not being allowed to date patients or their immediate family?” Stiles asked, looking excited and nervous and confused all at once, like he wasn't used to his requests for dates to be answered positively.

Derek shook his head, “There's no set rule for it, nothing written down or anything. It's kind of an unspoken thing that we keep a professional distance but,” Derek grinned now. “All rules are meant to be broken for the right price.”

Stiles broke out into a large grin that had Derek wanting to laugh. It was the brightest smile he had seen from him since meeting him only a few short hours ago. He knew it was strange, his agreement to go out on a date with someone he had literally just met, but that was what taking chances were for and hadn't he been talking about that with his sister not more than two days ago?

He was taking a chance but he figured Stiles needed to be given the chance as much as he needed someone who could understand what he was going through right now.

~~~~~~~ 

Stiles wouldn't say he was overly nervous the morning of his father's surgery.

The nurses...they were another story.

He'd vomited twice, something he blamed on a bad dinner the night before with his friends. The nurses knew that was a blatant lie but refused to call him out given that his dad was in surgery. They had seen this kind of reaction before, from people much stronger than they knew Stiles Stilinski to be. Some of the nurses, specifically Melissa, had known Stiles when his mother had been sick and knew both Stilinski men were the strong sort. They knew that the Sheriff would pull through and that Stiles would be okay in the end.

Derek, well Derek was more nervous for how Stiles was reacting to his dad going under the knife. He'd dropped by to check in on his new romantic interest only to find him hugging the waste basket, a very soothing and worried looking Melissa beside him rubbing his back while another man with dark hair, a crooked jaw line, and darker skin, paced nervously around the room. The introduction had been quick. He'd learned that the man, whom he'd seen around the hospital before, was Melissa's son Scott and Stiles' best friend. The dark haired girl who'd come in moments after turned out to be Allison, Scott's new bride. Derek had to admit he felt awkward asking Stiles how he was doing with all eyes on him but he'd managed to pull through without blushing, at least he hoped so. Melissa had left shortly after with the waste basket while Derek talked with Stiles, Scott and Allison having left for a moment with the promise to return with coffee and a ginger ale for Stiles.

After a quick exchange Derek had to get back to work and Stiles had to get back to worrying. It wasn't until an hour or so after Derek had first dropped into the room that Stiles left in search of something to do other than worrying. He ended up spotting Derek and made a bee line towards him. “I'm dieing here,” Stiles blurted, scaring the two female nurses who had been with Derek. Both had a concerned look on their face as they quickly scanned him from head to toe before realizing he was being metaphorical not literal. It was the curse of being a medical professional. Everything was literal until otherwise proven different.

“Bored or worried?” Derek asked, shrugging at the now agitated nurses who glared at Stiles before shaking their heads and walking away. Some people, Derek reasoned, just weren't meant to deal with patients or patient's family members.

“Both,” Stiles sighed dramatically. “When I'm bored I start to worry and when I worry I mess with my phone and when I mess with my phone I start to Google things and then I get even more worried and I Google more and it's a vicious cycle that spirals me down into a deep hole of fear and worry and I start to panic which usually means I throw up and then I look like an idiot for all of ten minutes before I start the cycle all over again starting with boredom.”

Derek blinked, having watched Stiles' face go red as he spoke without so much as taking a breath. He hadn't known anyone could actually talk that fast and that much without passing out from lack of oxygen. Well he knew one girl who could, but that was a different story. “How about you put your phone up or turn it off?” he suggested lamely.

“Yeah, like that's gonna happen,” Stiles scoffed before sucking in his bottom lip for a second to chew. “I should get back and you should get back to work. I'll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you later,” Derek said as Stiles turned to leave. Derek was confused, but he was starting to realize that Stiles might just always leave him confused. He wasn't sure how he felt about that just yet.

~~~~~~~

Stiles, after his dad was out of surgery, turned out to be worse than Stiles during surgery. At this point Derek was hoping for Stiles pre-surgery when he was yelling at the doctors and nurses he didn't know, the Stiles he had met the day before. Stiles hadn't been allowed in the recovery room, something about his nervous energy being too much and the fact that it could upset the patients, staff, and family members already down there. That had lead to both a breakdown and finally to a meltdown that had Derek pulling Stiles from the room, telling Melissa he was taking Stiles for coffee and then taking the man downstairs by way of stairs. Stiles had broken down again in the stairwell this time going into a full blown panic attack that scared the living hell out of Derek. He had done the only thing he could do, which was force Stiles to sit on the stairs and put his head between his legs and take deep breaths. Derek had managed to get Stiles to do that without actually having to force the man's head down, which was something he was thankful for. He didn't like manhandling people and he really didn't want to have to do that to Stiles.

The coffee was then done in silence, after a thank you from Stiles for Derek's help. Derek once more refused to allow Stiles to pay which angered Stiles enough that he wasn't worried for the whole duration of the break. By the time they managed to get up to the floor Stiles was calm enough that Melissa felt confident in letting Stiles go down to recovery.

“You sure he's going to be alright?” Derek asked after Melissa ushered Stiles off with a petite blonde nurse.

Melissa nodded, “He's a strong kid, which you've noticed. Keeping him from his father is probably the worst thing right now.”

“Probably,” Derek agreed, heading back to his work, Melissa doing the same.

It wasn't until much later, with the Sheriff back in his room, still a little groggy and under pain medication, that Derek finally got a chance to grab the chart to see why Stile had gone very silent and numb looking upon their next meeting.

From the chart, Derek gleaned the fact that the doctors saw minor spreading of the cancer. They had managed to remove what they could and a note of the recommended treatment. It wasn't the most radical of treatment regimens he had seen but it was still pretty aggressive as far as treatments went. He knew it was because the doctors wanted to make sure that he was going to be okay and survive.

“You okay?” Derek managed to ask when he caught Stiles leaving the room later that evening. Derek's shift had long ago ended, he'd seen many of Stiles' friends come and go including a redhead he had a feeling was Lydia and a cute little Asian who's name he hadn't caught.

Stiles blinked almost slowly, like he was in a daze. “Yeah, just...I didn't expect...”

Derek nodded, understanding why he didn't finish the statement. “They're hopeful though, the doctors.”

“Hopeful doesn't mean jack-shit. They were hopeful for my mom, said she looked in good shape,” Stiles sneered hatefully, knowing he shouldn't hate those people trying to help but he couldn't help himself. Who else could he be angry at? He'd long ago given up being angry at God. “Two months later we were burying her, Derek, and in two months I could be burying my dad too and I'm not prepared for that.”

Not at all offended by Stiles' harsh words or angry tone, Derek nodded. “No one is ready for that but I read his chart. They managed to remove a good portion of the cancerous tumors they spotted and the radiation therapy they recommended will get rid of the rest.”

“Hopefully,” Stiles hissed. “You forgot the word 'hopefully', which the asshat doctor stressed. It's not a hundred percent but the likelihood of survival is high enough that the doctor are confident he'll go into remission.”

“You don't sound like you believe them,” Derek pointed out, lifting a brow.

“I don't!” Stiles nearly growled this time, so much pain in his voice with the anger. “I don't believe anyone about anything because the last time I believe someone they told me my mom was going to be okay. Look how that turned out.”

“Do you believe me?” Stiles blinked at Derek's question. “Rather, do you trust me?”

“I don't even know you,” Stiles said softly, all harshness gone from his voice, leaving behind the hurt and worry and fear.

“Doesn't matter, do you trust me?” Stiles slowly nodded. “Do you trust Melissa and your dad?” He nodded without hesitance. “Then he'll be okay Stiles. If we believe that he'll be fine and you trust us than trust that he will be okay. The doctors here are some of the best in the state. Let them do their jobs and take a step back. Worry about yourself before you make yourself so sick that you land in the hospital. I'd rather not have to take care of you.”

“Why's that?” Stiles asked with a cock of his head, amber eyes reading his confusion. Derek had noticed that Stiles could, if needed, school is features to show nothing. His eyes, those eyes betrayed everything. Derek knew, without a doubt, that Stiles could be completely read through his eyes alone.

“Because you'd make a horrible patient,” Derek teased in hopes of raising the man's spirits, though it was completely the truth.

Stiles rolled his eyes before sighing, feeling better than he had all day. Talking helped to take a weight off his shoulders, a weight he knew he carried but didn't know how to get rid of. Derek seemed to help take some of the burden. “Thanks Derek, again.”

“Not a problem.” He meant it.

“You say you're horrible with family members, but you know what,” Stiles started. “You really aren't.”

Happy to hear that, Derek smiled, “Thanks. Go be with your dad. I've got your number so I'll text you later.”

“We can make plans for that date when you call,” Stiles tried to grin but it didn't come out as anything more than a small flash of a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Derek smiled softly, not blaming him for the failed attempt at flirting. “Yeah, we'll have to do that. Goodnight Stiles.”

“'Night Derek.”

~~~~~~~

It wasn't for at least a week that the two even touched base on their plans for their prospective date. They talked about everything but an actual date, even when Derek was at work and saw Stiles face to face. They talked about friends, work, his father, their families, and funny stories from high school. They learned about one another, got to know each other in a way that most people did on the first few initial dates. Stiles didn't count the coffee breaks he and Derek often found themselves taking. That, in a way, was courtship, not actual dating.

It wasn't that Stiles didn't like how their newly found relationship was going, it was just odd and maybe old fashioned. He remembered that a lot of his romantic endeavors in high school had gone much the same way, as had his college ones, but as he had gotten older he had used dates as his way to get to know the people he happened to be romantically interested in. It was as familiar as it was strange but he found himself liking Derek for more than just his looks as had been the initial draw. Stiles would never admit to being shallow but he knew that on some level everyone happened to be shallow.

Derek's looks had drawn him in, his personality had kept him coming back.

So when he ran into Derek on a trip to dropping his dad off for treatment (lets face it, searching Derek out because he was still freaking out), he was surprised when Derek started the conversation with “Dinner tonight?”

Stiles, startled at the blunt statement, blurted, “Yeah.”

“Good,” Derek smiled, almost in a smug manner if Stiles were to later describe it to Lydia. It was a smile that caused fluttering in Stiles' stomach and his heart to thump wildly out of control. It was a good feeling, a feeling he couldn't recall feeling, not in a very very long time.

“Good,” Stiles parroted back stupidly and worried about his mental capabilities. Derek just continued smiling smugly, knowing he was having an affect on Stiles. In the last two weeks Stiles had learned that Derek liked to tease people, particularly ones he liked. Since he liked Stiles, Derek had seemed to make it his mission to make Stiles smile or blush, or both at the same time. That happened more that Stiles cared to admit.

“How's your dad?” Derek asked, as per usual when they 'met' on his dad's treatment days.

“Good,” Stiles blurted before mentally kicking himself for how silly he sounded. However, he stopped hating his brain for being lame upon hearing Derek laugh, a full blown laugh that made Stiles weak in the knees and his heart to flutter. “Sorry, yeah he's doing okay. A little weak, tired and mostly annoyed with my fretting but he's doing better than the first few rounds.”

“That's to be expected. He's gonna be sore and grumpy but after everything is all said and done, I'm sure he'll be a lot happier knowing he's got a clean bill of health,” Derek reminded him for what felt like the millionth time.   
“I'm sure he will be,” Stiles grumbled, almost sullen with the fact. “For now I'm dealing with a grouchy man who is either complaining I'm not around enough or around too much. Sometimes..” Stiles left it open ended giving a growl but smiled despite himself. He loved his dad, he did, but the man was driving him nuts between making him worry with being sick or annoying him because he cared. It took all of Stiles' will not to rip his hair out.

All Derek could do was laugh. “Oh, I understand. Two sisters Stiles,” he added to which Stiles laughed this time.

~~~~~~~

Derek decided a simple date, at one of his favored cafe not to far from the hospital, would suit the both of them the best. He was proud to admit that he found the place because he had wandered during a break on a day he worked a double. He'd had two hours to get dinner and ended up at this little hole in the wall that served the best sandwiches he'd had the pleasure of tasting in a very long while.

Of course, knowing the place as well as he did, he worried that the date might not be what Stiles was looking. He had to figure, given the stress Stiles had been under over the last few weeks, he would need something laid back. He didn't need an uptight dressy date where he had to be on his best behavior. Though Derek had yet to actually have a drink at the cafe, he knew that they did serve alcohol in some manner and that was exactly what the two of them needed, especially Stiles after everything he had been through recently.

Derek ended up picking Stiles at his apartment, an older building in the middle of town which had been converted into lofts years before after having served as a warehouse for what felt like forever. Derek was impressed, realizing that at nearly thirty he was still living at home with his older sister who was married and pregnant.

He didn't let the thought bother him as he called Stiles from outside. “Hey!” he heard Stiles say excitedly. “You here?”

“Downstairs and waiting,” Derek said, smiling to himself as he felt his own excitement and nerves fluttering around his stomach.

“I'll be down in a moment, have to find my leather jacket.” Stiles uttered with the sound of rustling fabric as the proof he wasn't stalling.

Derek couldn't help the chuckle. “Take your time. I'll wait.”

“Found it!” Derek had to pull the phone away from his ear seconds later. “Sorry, hanging up now. I'll be down literally in a minute.” Derek laughed as he heard the click of the phone disconnecting. Stiles was a ball of energy, it would seem. He hadn't doubted that, given how Stiles seemed to flit from place to place. Though he looked exhausted half the time he still had so much energy. He wondered if it was from the ADHD he had mentioned off handedly one day after two many cups of coffee while his father was in treatment.

As a minute ended Derek caught sight of Stiles exiting the building, jeans and a tee shirt covered by a button down and worn brown leather jacket. The whole outfit was topped off with a bright red pair of converse that matched the dark red of the shirt he wore. It was causal enough for the cafe but dressy enough to be seen as put together.

“Hey,” Stiles said, greeting Derek with a bright an infectious grin. “Gonna tell me where we're going?” he asked, hoping around to the other side of the sleek black sports care that Derek had had since high school.

Derek grinned now, almost in an impish manner. “No, but I can tell you that you're dressed right.” Stiles made a playful growling noise but didn't push the subject as Derek sped away from the curb.

The date went off without a hitch. Stiles was surprised and excited about the cafe and jazzed about the fact that he didn't have to eat anything fancy or exotic. He even said so as they seated themselves. Derek was greeted on sight and all Stiles could do was smile and ask how often Derek went to the cafe.

Laughter ensued as conversation flowed, mostly centered around work and the funny stories that came about because of it. Derek told humorous tales of mishaps that came through the ER when he had worked it. Stiles explained the hilarious situations in which he'd been called out to. Ordering and eating never actually got in the way of the conversation as talk turned to friends. Stiles learned that Derek hadn't had many friends in high school and had found his group in college. Stiles explained that his friends had been his friends since forever, a few having come in high school, but in the case of Scott and Lydia they had been there from elementary school. They traded a few stories about their explots in college, mostly drunken party moments, one of which had landed Stiles in a jail cell with Scott giggling right beside him. Derek, in most of his stories, ended up being the one to do the embarrassing because he never got as drunk as his friends did. They both found out they enjoyed a good prank now and again but had grown out of the childishness of their college days.

Finally the conversation turned more to the heartache of their respective pasts when Stiles asked, “Can you tell me what happened?” it was meant to be innocent, a question following his statement that his dad never really mentioned the the Hale case.”

“Yeah,” Derek said, nursing the single beer he was allowing himself since he had to drive. “My sisters and I were out, I was fifteen at the time, Laura being the only one who could actually drive, and Cora just wanting to hang with her older siblings. Well mom made Laura take us for ice cream,” he laughed fondly. “Our uncle Peter tagged along because he really wanted ice cream. None of us complained because we knew he'd pay in a heartbeat.

“We were gone about an hour, maybe a little longer,” Derek shrugged, Stiles fulling engrossed in the story now. “Peter was driving now because Laura was in a sort of sugar coma as were the rest of us. The first thing we noticed was the fire trucks and police cars. We were stopped at the entrance of the driveway. Peter was out like a shot when the car was turned off and like the children we were, the three of us followed behind, ignoring the police because Peter never freaked out. We came around the bend to see the house on fire. And Peter behind physically restrained by a larger police officer. We were stopped by your dad.”

“He never mentioned that,” Stiles said softly, picking at the remaining cold fries on his plate. He was a little sick to his stomach now.

“I imagine he wouldn't,” Derek pointed out. “You were Laura's age, too young to be exposed to this but by then you knew what loss was.” Stiles nodded and made a low noise of agreement in his throat. “It wasn't until they put the fire out that the fire fighters managed to get inside and found...everyone. It was our parents, Peter's wife Amy, and a few family friends. They never found the cause of the fire. The insurance company told us they listed it as faulty wiring but mom and dad has the whole house rewired the previous winter. Peter stood by his theory of arson but that could never be proven. He went a little mad after that and Laura found him about five years ago catatonic in an apartment in LA. He's been that way ever since.”

“Jesus,” Stiles whispered.

“Yeah,” Derek mumbled. “Tell me about your mom.”

“Fair trade,” Stiles said and steeled himself by ordering another beer. He started by telling Derek that his mom was the best woman in the world, how kind and sweet and loving she was. She had been his best friend as a child, his world and his father's world. He told Derek how his mom loved to cook and always tried to make his dad eat healthy because she knew he ate a lot of fast food on the job. He explained how the illness had come out of nowhere and progressed quite fast, how his mother had tried to hide the symptoms for as long as she could and how when dad found out they tried to get help. The doctors had been hopeful but before that year was older she was gone, Stiles not even a teenager when it happened.

The topic changed once more after several minutes of silence. They touched a few deeper but less scaring subjects. They traded stories of the few past relationships they'd had, including a very horrible and somewhat abusive one Derek had while in college. It had been short lived thankfully. He mentioned his high school girlfriend, the one he had loved before she had passed in a car accident. After Stiles apologized profusly for Derek's loss, he jumped right into one his own relationships, stating that most of his, including the one with a lovely childhood friend named Heather, had turned out amicable and friendly. Neither of them could really pinpoint the moment when they realized they liked men. Stiles explained that it was probably in high school when he had been hit on by a fellow lacrosse player named Danny and Derek figured he'd always found men attractive, since middles school he had to guess.

It was nice for the two of them to learn the things that had either screwed them up or helped them grow up. Both of them had memories that did both and while the topics sometimes were awkward at best, the conversation passed easily and unaided by anything more than a little beer.

The night ended far to fast for Derek's taste. The drive back to Stiles' place was full of funny stories and the trip was short for the most part. Neither of them seemed overly joyed at leave the other but Derek managed to prolong their time together by walking Stiles up to his apartment.

“Tonight was fun,” Stiles smiled, eyes showing that he was telling the truth. He hadn't had that much fun in what felt like forever. It was easy with Derek, almost like he had known Derek far longer than he actually had.

“It was,” Derek agreed. “I'm glad we finally got to do this.”

Stiles nodded, “Yeah, so am I.”

Just like that the date ended with a surprisingly bold move from Stiles. The move caught Derek off-guard but it sure as hell wasn't unwanted. In fact, Derek leaned into the kiss and gave back as good as he got, leaving both men panting for breath before touching foreheads and smiling brightly at one another, both with red flushed cheeks.

“Thanks for tonight,” Stiles whispered, voice faint and breathy.

Derek grinned softly, “We'll definitely do it again.”

~~~~~~~

Late Spring turned to Summer, the weather warming up, and Laura becoming more and more annoying as the days slipped into weeks. Derek blamed the pregnancy.

“Derek!” she shouted for what felt like the hundredth time. Actually, he was pretty sure it was the hundredth time that day.

As had become habit, Derek groaned allowing his head to hit the top of the kitchen table in which his work was spread out. He had decided to take a few summer classes at the local college and while they were easy enough, just classes to refresh his training, he still needed to actually study and do his work. It was only the beginning of the class but between work and Laura and trying desperately to spend time with Stiles when he wasn't at work and with his own dad, he was running himself ragged.

Right now he was wishing Laura wasn't pregnant and that he could pour her a glass of wine and sit her in front of the TV to keep her entertained. That and he cursed his missing brother-in-law who decided that for the July fourth weekend it was appropriate to go visit family out east. Laura had refused to go, claiming she was too scared to fly while being pregnant and 'who would take care of Derek if she left?' Derek had reminded her he was a grown adult but she had stayed behind regardless, using that excuse to hide the real reason. She was scared to death of flying...period, pregnancy or no pregnancy.

“What?” Derek finally said upon hearing yet another call of his name, this time closer than before and a lot more angry.

“We're going to have a barbecue for the fourth,” she stated out of the blue, like she had been planning this for months instead of just spouting it out for the first time.

Derek frowned, “Excuse me?”

“We're gonna have a barbecue like we used to as kids. I think it's a good idea,” Laura said happily. “We can have all our friends over and you can invite Stiles and his dad and their friends. It'll be fun for all of us,” Laura explained, flopping herself as well as her five month pregnant self could. While she wasn't that large yet, she was still showing quite a bit and her center of gravity had changed to the point that she was becoming more unstable in her movements. She wasn't adjusting well to how her body was changing but she was dealing with it as best she could with everyone's help.

“Why?” Derek asked dumbly, his mind still buried in his books instead of paying full attention to what his sister was saying.

“We should have a party Derek. You've been dating Stiles for what, about a month now, known him almost two I guess. It's about time you two share one another with your friends. I mean I met him once when he was sneaking out the house the other day.” Laura pointed out.

Derek blushed brightly, remembering why exactly Stiles had been sneaking out. It wasn't exactly what his sister was thinking, but it was close enough that Derek was embarrassed by how it looked. “Laura,” he growled out in embarrassment.

“Don't be embarrassed baby brother, you have urges that need to be satisfied and if Stiles can do that, more power to him,” she waved a hand in the air as if batting away the comment she knew was about to come. “In all honesty I think this would be a good thing considering what you've told me about what's been going on with Stiles' dad. He needs a party, even as awkward as you think it will be. I know you've met a few of his friends, more by accident than anything, but Derek...” she sighed. “You haven't been this happy in a long time. You're friends deserve to meet the man that makes you smile like you used to do with Paige,” Laura smiled sadly. Paige had been Derek's high school girlfriend who had unfortunately passed in a car accident when they were sixteen. After that Derek's dating life had been greatly different.

Derek sighed, rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation. “I know Laura but...” his shoulders slumped as he fought for the words. “This is still new and it scares me. I don't want to run him off because...well you know my friends.”

Laura laughed brightly. “I know, but give it a shot.”

“What if they don't want to come?” Derek asked, sounding almost like a child.

Laura smiled sympathetically this time. She wanted to blame the hormones but she knew that she felt sorry for her brother and how he felt. She also knew that his friends would never do anything to jeopardize the budding relationship between Derek and Stiles. “I don't think they'll say no. I'm sure that if Stiles is being as selfish as you have been than they want to meet you just as much as we want a formal introduction to him.”

“Fine,” Derek relented, knowing there was no getting around doing what his sister wanted. She had always been like that. If she didn't get what she wanted she would make his life hell or pout until he gave in.

“Yay! I'll start planning,” Laura clapped and fought her way out of the chair before scurrying off as fast as she could.

Derek had no idea what he had just gotten himself into and he was hoping he didn't regret it.

~~~~~~

Stiles heard the doorbell ring and yawned. He'd pulled a double the day before, gotten very little sleep because Kira and Erica had dragged him out of the house to a bar because he was 'the only single friend they had left' which meant he had more to drink than he should have and he was now slightly hungover.

“What?” Stiles grumbled, opening the door and looking angrily at the man responsible for the disruption of the half nap he had been attempting to get while watching television on the couch. That person happened to be Derek and as happy as he was to see his boyfriend, he was very tried and his head hurt.

“Rough night?” Derek chuckled, walking through the open door while being glared at by Stiles.

Stiles just blinked as he closed the door, “Let's just say pulling a double AND going out is a horrible decision. I'm gonna kill Erica and Kira.”

Derek, who had heard the names before and met Kira, smiled slightly. “Go sit down. I'll make coffee which should help. Have you taken anything?”

“Aspirin,” Stiles mumbled but tried to follow Derek into the kitchen.

“Good, that should help. Now go sit down,” Derek ordered, shooing Stiles to the living room.

Grumbling the whole way, Stiles did as he was told and let Derek do what he was going to do. It was about fifteen minutes later that Derek finally came out with two mugs of black coffee. He was now shoeless and couldn't help but laugh at seeing Stiles curled on the couch in a blanket half asleep.

“Here,” Derek said softly, shoving a mug at him. Stiles stirred enough to reach out and take the cup. He held it close to his face, sniffing at the coffee before testing to see if it was too hot to actually drink. “So, while you're so agreeable, how about you agree to ask all your friends to Laura's random fourth of July barbecue that she just thought of having yesterday?”

“What? Laura is having a barbecue for the fourth of July, yesterday?” Stiles said, not sounding like he was making any sense, even to himself. He just stared stupidly at Derek.

Derek, blinking, laughed after a second. “No, yesterday she decided that we were going to have a barbecue this weekend for the fourth. She wants you and all your friends to come. Something about it being time we all hung out or some hormone driven bullshit.”

“Aww, Laura wants you to share me,” Stiles cooed which earned him a light shove that had his head throbbing and his coffee sloshing. “Dude, coffee!” he exclaimed loudly, protecting the mug like it was suddenly going to jump from his hands and hit the floor. All Derek could do was laugh.

“Well, I don't like sharing what's mine but Laura thinks that after a month of dating and an unsuccessfully attempt to sneak out, it's time you met my friends.” He finally explained, his laughter having died down.

“Yeah, my friends are chomping at the bit to meet you too,” Stiles sighed in resignation. “Guess we have no choice.”

“I'll....” Derek started to say he would let Laura know but Stiles threw him off guard with what he said next.

“We have to run away. I hear Bora Bora is nice this time of year,” Stiles stated which caused Derek to laugh even more. “Dude, I'm not kidding. My friends meeting yours? That might just cause the end of the world. I mean Erica might just tease us to death. She likes to tease and she's merciless.”

“I'm sure my cousin Malia can hold her own against her if she's as bad as you say she is. If not I'm sure Liv will. Girl's got a temper on her.” Derek smiled fondly at the thought of his cousin and friend.

“Olivia?” Stiles asked suddenly and with curiosity that had him perking up significantly despite his throbbing head. “Olivia Goode?”

Derek, confused, blinked. “Yeah, she was Cora's roommate in college. Do you know her?”

“Sort of, she was born here in Beacon Hills. She moved away when I was like six, we've emailed a few times but we lost contact a few years ago. She's part of your circle?”

“More Cora's than anything. She's engaged to my friend Isaac,” Derek said, thinking how small the world was.

“Holy crap, that's awesome,” Stiles said sipping at the now warm coffee. It seemed to perk him up, that or the medicine had kicked in. “I suppose meeting your friends won't be that bad,” he conceded. “I'm sure mine would love some free food. Scott can, and will, eat you out of house and home. Lydia will complain but Jordan should be able to reign her in. Allison and Liam will be happy to be somewhere different. Can my dad come?”

“Sure!” Derek said, offended that he would even have to ask. “Why wouldn't he come?”

“Don't know, not sure if this was family friendly or just friend...friendly. That was lame,” Stiles said quickly as he flushed.

“It's fine,” Derek smiled. “Melissa is probably gonna be there anyways and Liv's mom might be.”

“Okay good,” Stiles smiled softly and settled in to finish his coffee while Derek relaxed, turning his attention to the television and hoping that nothing embarrassing happened at the party to come.

~~~~~~

“Derek!” Stiles cheered, running at him full speed and crashing into him with such force that Derek nearly toppled over. Stiles laughed, gave him a large and affectionate kiss, and then settled himself at Derek's side like be belonged there. Then again he did. They were dating after all and sort of belonged at each others side. Derek wouldn't deny that he liked Stiles beside him, arm wrapped around his back and nearly tucked into a pocket.

“What was that for?” Derek whispered as he watched a group of excited people follow behind the Sheriff into the large backyard that belonged to the Hale family. The house itself had been rebuilt after the fire and still sat on the same property that the original had before it. The surrounding two square miles of forest belonged to the Hale siblings, but the backyard was huge and landscaped to look like a forest paradise (Laura's idea). The grill was already fired up, seeing as it was nearly two in the afternoon, and Derek and Laura's friends were milling about. Laura hadn't invited too many people, most of her friends having plans with their own families. It was mostly Derek's friends, who had already broken out the beer and wine.

It was instant that a few of Stiles' friends already knew Derek's friends, namely Erica and Boyd who seemed surprised to see one another but quite pleased.

“Stiles Stilinski,” called a female from behind them. Both turned, breaking apart to see a small blonde with bright blue eyes grinning at them. “Long time no see, stranger.”

And, much to Derek's surprise, they hugged. Olivia was the newest member of their little group, having spent more time with Cora and her small group of friends than Derek's friends. It was about three years ago that Olivia and Issac had met by accident and the rest was history.

“Good to see you too, Liv. The East coast was good to you,” he offered as way of compliment. They hadn't spoken in years but time fell away with shared memories of youth.

“Oh, yes it was,” she grinned, shooting a look over her shoulder towards a tall curly haired dark blond who seemed deep in conversation with Boyd and Erica. Melissa and the Sheriff had wandered off, Liam had wandered towards a leggy dark blonde girl while Lydia and Jordan, at least Derek assumed he was Jordan, stuck close to the little Asian he knew to be Kira. Scott seemed to wander off to Isaac and Boyd though he seemed a little nervous to do so.

“I'm glad you found someone. I heard about your dad,” he said as a way of apology for something so long past.

“Yeah,” she said sadly. “I'm sorry about your mom. She was such a sweet woman. I heard about John, I'm sorry for that too. He looks good though, all things considered,” she said with a nod towards the older man who probably didn't remember the tow headed girl and the trouble she used to cause as a child.

Stiles looked towards his dad. “He's doing good, yeah, a lot better than when he first started. The doctors are really happy with his progress. Says that the treatment seems to be working but he's still got a few months to go.”

“He'll be fine,” Liv said, giving his arm a pat. “I should go back, Isaac gets a little lost sometimes if I'm not there.”

“We'll talk later,” Stiles promised as she walked away. She waved in response and ran off to launch herself at the man who laughed at her antics. “This was a really good idea.” Stiles blurted to Derek as a sense of ease filled him. This was probably the first time where he didn't feel some sort of nervousness about his dad. It had become a constant to worry but here, surrounded by old friends and hopefully new friends, Stiles felt a peace he hadn't felt since before his mother had passed. It was nice and he was beyond happy that the peace came about by way of Derek. He hadn't realized how much he had needed someone like Derek until he was there beside him, in his life and in his heart.

“Please don't tell Laura that,” Derek groaned, not knowing what Stiles was thinking in the few seconds of lapsed silence.

“Why?” Stiles laughed at the groan.

“I'll never let him live it down!” Laura cackled from behind them. Derek cringed and all Stiles could do was give a sheepish grin and shrug as he ran off to try to get Lydia and the few others to join in them mingling. This left Derek to deal with Laura and her now slightly more inflated ego.

~~~~~~~

By night fall the loud noise the group had earlier produced had tapered off into light talking. They had foregone the fireworks, not believing that anyone there was capable of actually handling the concussive explosives without harming themselves or one another. Instead they had settled for colored smoke bombs which had lead to most of them acting like children for the better part of an hour. Stiles and Derek had joined in, ending up running into one another in a particularly dense patch of green and blue smoke. They made the most of the cover by taking that time to share a happy and rather passionate kiss, getting so far into it that they forgot where they were for a time.

Of course, it was how the world worked after all, the smoke cleared with a gust of wind and both failed to notice. Everyone else did not. A round of catcalls erupted which lead to both men blushing and finally yelling at the others. They meant no harm in the yelling, just reminding them that most of them had a significant other they often did the exact same thing with, Olivia and Isaac being the prime examples about thirty minutes later when they saw the fireworks going off in the town proper about four miles away.

In the end, as the firework show drew to a close in town, they all ended up sprawled out on the lawn, Laura having gone inside long ago as Melissa and the Sheriff had left. That left the younger ones, though Derek was now the oldest of the lot. It was nice and relaxing, as Laura had said it would be.

“This was a really good idea,” Stiles said again, snuggling beside Derek with his head on his chest. Derek had his arm wrapped around Stiles, stroking his side while his other arm was tucked under his head for support.

“Yeah,” Derek agreed in a lazy tone. “Didn't think they'd get along as well as they did but this is good, this is nice,” he finished, realizing that this was exactly where he wanted to be at this moment. A new relationship was scary at best, terrifying at worst. The meeting of the friends was usually a turning point in a relationship followed usually by meeting the parents, something Derek already had done and Stiles would never get to do. If their friends hadn't of liked the significant other than neither Derek nor Stiles were sure if they would make it any farther than they had already. Yet with everyone seeming to get along, except for a minor argument between Erica and Malia, both men were sure this was going to work for the long haul.

~~~~~~

_“Hey, I can't make the dinner res. My dad had to go in and I'm wiped from work, pretty sure Scott gave me his cold which he swear he didn't get from Allison who got it from Lydia who got it from who knows where considering where she works. Anyways, we'll have to reschedule. Sorry Derek.”_

Stiles was a little disappointed that he had to cancel their plans for the night, it was their four month anniversary after all. He hated the fact that he was sick, he hated that he felt like a truck had run him over and he hated that he thought Derek was going to be angry. In the total time they had known one another, baring the first meeting incident, they had never so much as fought. They had bickered and argued, petty little things that made them laugh two seconds after they opened their mouths, but nothing major. He was scared this would be a 'something major' type of thing even though it was probably the silliest thought he'd ever had.

When he didn't get an angry call back, just a text that told him they'd reschedule and for him to feel better, Stiles felt relief.

He wasn't expecting the knock on his door at about eight that night. He had been about ready to throw in the towel and call Derek again to apologize (because lets face it Stiles was still very sorry for having to cancel) when Derek had turned up at his door. He was holding a large takeout box from the restaurant they had been planning on having dinner, as well as a plastic bag with what looked like cold medication as well as candles and maybe a dvd.

“I was going to get flowers but I thought that was overkill and kind of cheesy, plus you sound like flowers would make you sneeze,” Derek said rather lamely as he stood in the doorway looking completely out of place.

“I...” Stiles started, confused for a moment. “I love you,” he blurt out in his realization that yes, he did in fact love the man standing in front of him. Derek had been nothing but kind and sweet and caring the last nearly five months of his life and he wasn't sure exactly when it had happened but his crush and deep like of Derek had turned to love. Maybe it was the fourth of July barbecue, or maybe it was any of the little moments they had spent together over the last few months (though date wise their had been few big ones). It was a subtle shift, not something that just happened. He had felt this way for a while, scared of saying anything or even admitting it to himself really, but seeing Derek here, rambling about flowers and the fact that they would make him sneeze, made him just blurt it out in a rather word vomit kind of style. It wasn't how he wanted to say it, but it was out there now. The ball was in Derek's court.

Derek blinked rapidly, thrown off guard, “Um...”

Stiles' eyes widened as Derek stood dumb struck and speechless on his welcome mat. He wasn't sure that was a good thing and he himself stood there hoping for the best but preparing to have Derek turn around and leave, or just say something like 'thank you'. Stiles had heard that one before, from one Lydia Martin and than Heather. So his track run with actually saying 'I love you' hadn't been a very good one.

“I love you too,” Derek finally whispered. “I hadn't planned to tell you like this, but yeah, I do love you.”

Stiles felt the smile grow on his face and swore if he could smile wider he'd break his face. He grabbed a hold of Derek's shirt, fisting the fabric in his hand as he tugged Derek into the apartment and to him, watching as his green eyes widened in surprise but quickly clouded with realization as Stiles' lips hit his. Derek, with his hands still full, could do nothing but stand there and kiss him back for fear of dropping their dinner on the floor and making a mess.

When Derek could finally breath again, Stiles having removed himself from the kiss when he realized that Derek was struggling to keep a hold of the bags in his hands. He rushed to the kitchen to put everything down. Despite the fact that Stiles more than likely had a cold given that it was true that Scott had one, Derek was more than willing to risk his own health to wrap himself around Stiles and sink into another deep kiss that not only lead to a dramatic shift in their emotional relationship but also lead to a much needed change in their physical relationship.

Neither of them minded much that at midnight they were heating up cold food and drinking room temperature beer. Nor did Derek mind that he was going to have a cold in the coming days. Nothing could make him any less happy than he was sitting with Stiles and then wrapping him in his arms as they slept the rest of the night beside one another.

~~~~~~

“Oh, my god,” Lydia gushed as Stiles sat down across from her. Scott was on his left and Allison was beside Lydia. Kira, Erica, and Liam were on the others side of Stiles but between him and Lydia. Jordan was at work, so was the sheriff, so it was just the six of them just as it should be. They had decided that they would meet up for coffee because Stiles had some big news. No one had expected it to be the fact that Derek and Stiles had admitted to loving one another.

“Man, when did this happen?” Scott asked, elated for his best friend but confused. There had been a time where Stiles had told him everything but it was different now. It hurt Scott but at the same time he was beginning to realize that they were older now, with lives of their own. They didn't need to be attached at the hip any longer. It was a hard fact to realize but he was accepting it slowly.

“I don't know,” Lydia said in a sarcastic manner, “Maybe when they met?”

“Shut up Lydia, I mean seriously, when did you realize you loved him?” Scott sneered the first part at their redheaded friend who just gave a snarl back in return. It was more playful, they knew, but to an outsider it would appear as if they hated each other.

Stiles shrugged. “I mean it's been this feeling, growing since the barbecue when I really began to realize that this could actually work but I mean...” he sighed happily. “He just showed up at my door after I had to cancel our date because someone,” he glared at Scott, “gave me a cold. He told me he didn't want to get me flowers because they would make me sneeze and that it was cheesy. I don't know but I just couldn't help but say it.”

“Aw,” Kira cooed to which Liam and Erica rolled their eyes, though secretly happy for their friend.

“You deserve this Stiles, and Derek is a good man,” Allison said, smiling brightly and looking to Scott for a moment, likely remembering how they had fallen in love.

Stiles smiled contentedly. “I just...this is strange. There was no big explosion, there was nothing special that he's done aside from being there, listening to me, holding my hand. I mean yeah, I was attracted to him the moment I saw him but there was never that one moment, like we see on TV and in movies or read in books, there wasn't a 'bang, there it is' moment like you,” he motioned to Scott and Allison, “and you and Jordan,” he said to Lydia. “It was just....slow.”

“A slow burn,” Lydia a grinned. “Something that you don't realize is happening, slowly and then suddenly it's there, that blue flicker in the center of a flame you had no idea was slowly building until you're engulfed. Not all loves are explosive and instant. They start with a crush and turn into like and before you know it, you're in love and totally gone on the other person.”

Stiles was grinning now, realizing that she was right and he was more than happy.

~~~~~~

“I told him I love him,” Derek muttered as he sat with his sister on the couch, her feet in his lap as she rubbed them. Her husband was upstairs taking a shower and Laura had taken the free time to sit with her brother and talk.

“Really now? Took you long enough,” Laura teased lightly as she nudged him with the foot that wasn't in his hands.

Derek rolled his eyes. “How could you have known I was in love with him?” he asked sarcastically.

Laura laughed, “You've always shown what you're feeling in your eyes, Derek. It's a flaw.”

“Really? How long then have I been in love with Stiles?” Derek goaded, knowing that his sister spoke the truth and wanting to know her thoughts on the matter.

She smiled. “Oh, about the time you took him on the first date. Well you weren't in love then,” she said at Derek's expression. “You were starting to fall in love then, full fell, well somewhere between me having you ask him to the barbecue and the following morning when you drove him home. It was written on your face clear as day. I'm so happy.”

He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face at hearing that. He himself had pinpointed the moment when he felt himself fully loving Stiles. He had known for a while before that, that Stiles could be someone he loved, someone he wanted to be in love with. He wouldn't say it was instant, like Laura had explained her feelings for her now-husband, and it wasn't a single moment that he realized this like Issac had said it was with Liv. It was slow and he could feel himself falling in love the whole time. Moment after moment building the point where he knew what he had was love.

“So am I,” Derek admitted softly.

~~~~~~

Summer turned to Fall before they knew it and like the blink of an eye Halloween was over and Thanksgiving was upon them. Work had picked up for both Derek and Stiles. Stiles was dealing with his dad less and less medically as the man's treatments tapered off. The doctors, at this point, where sure he was heading into the realm of remission. Derek was happy for both Stiles and his dad.

Stiles no longer seemed as stressed, he no longer had those dark bags under his eyes that had slowly started to disappear as the weeks slipped by. It gave him peace of mind knowing that Stiles was able to actually relax when they were together instead of constantly thinking about if his phone was going to ring or that his dad might need something and he wasn't there. He didn't blame Stiles for feeling like that but at moments, especially when they were together, he felt neglected. It was horrible to say, to even feel, but he couldn't help how he felt.

So with Thanksgiving upon them and Stiles no longer preoccupied, Derek decided it was a good time to ask a question he had been meaning to ask for weeks. They were cuddling on the couch, Derek's head in Stiles' lap as they watched some old horror movie. Stiles had proved to be a rabid Halloween and horror fan, having dragged them downtown for a horror themed Halloween party that had ended with Lydia screaming so loud they had all thought their eardrums had busted. In fact Jordan, who had managed to swing the night off, had heard ringing in his ears for twelve hours following.

“What would you think about moving in together?” Derek asked during a commercial break. It wasn't an ideal time, but then again their relationship was strange in how important topics came out. Like their proclamation of love. Stiles had a cold and Derek was bringing him dinner and medication.

“Don't think Laura would like me under foot with a newborn on the way,” Stiles said offhandedly.

Derek chuckled, closing his eyes as Stiles ran his hand through his hair. “No, I'm sure Laura would hate that, but I was thinking about me here or maybe finding our own place.”

“You want to move in with me?” Stiles repeated Derek's earlier question just phrased differently, as if just realizing what he had asked. He seemed stunned that someone would actually want to move in with him. He wasn't the easiest person to live with, Scott could—and would—attest to that as could his dad and several roommates during college.

“Yes Stiles, I want to live with you. Not just keeping a drawer in the dresser or some hangers in the closest or even stuff in the bathroom. I mean completely together. I mean if you want to stay here we can or we can get our own place and start fresh or...” he was cut off by Stiles awkwardly bending himself to capture Derek's lips with his.

“Yes,” Stiles whispered as they broke apart. “Move in here,” he kissed him again, more lightly this time. “I've got enough space and I just resigned my lease.”

Derek grinned, excited for this new start, muttered against Stiles' lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Derek,” Stiles said back, kissing him one more time before settling back down to watch the movie. Derek didn't remember a thing that happened in it, just that he could only think about moving in.

~~~~~~

Thanksgiving had been spent as a large gathering at the Hale house for those who didn't go home for the holiday. It had been...rather interesting to say the least. Nothing remotely interesting had happened but it had been somewhat awkward at first. It had ended up being a calm Thanksgiving relative to all the stories Stiles and Lydia had told about growing up.

Just like that, Christmas was upon them. Spirits were high as were the norm of the season. The Sheriff was doing quite well, working most days and not nearly putting in as many hours as he used to. Stiles and Derek were still working out the logistics of moving in together, deciding it would be better to wait until after the holidays. It was just easier of them in the long run, they did decide, however, to spend the holiday together at Stiles' apartment.

This meant that on Christmas eve Stiles spent time with his father before heading home early in the evening to prepare a small romantic dinner for the two of them. Stiles was excited as he drove through town, wishing slightly that they had a white Christmas like the ones he'd had when in college. He didn't exactly like the snow, but he had enjoyed it because it just made the time of year feel like Christmas.

While lost in thoughts Stiles managed to keep his eyes on the road and follow the road rules. If he sped a little too fast at some points he ignored it but when it came to stop lights and signs, he listened. He'd seen the results of far to many accidents while working as an EMT. He didn't care to have it happen to him, even minorly.

He pulled up to a stop light, checked his phone for any calls and messages before tucking it back into the cup holder where he often kept it while driving. It rarely touched it if it could be helped and never took phone calls or answered texts. He'd seen the end results of those accidents as well.

When the light turned green he hit the gas, rolling into the intersection. He had a split second to notice the truck barreling down the oppisite street and had no time to react before the truck his the passenger's side with such force that Stiles hit his head on the side window.

Blackness swallowed him.

~~~~~~

Derek was a little more than worried when Stiles wasn't home by seven like he promised. He tried calling but all he got was his annoying happy voice mail. He called the Sheriff who told him that Stiles had left at six forty five. It was now seven thirty. It was a short drive from the older part of town to Stiles' apartment and even with traffic, it wouldn't have taken forty five minutes.

He tried calling again, knowing that Stiles wouldn't pick up if he was driving. Though Derek liked that Stiles was a responsible driver he was annoyed because him not answering worried him even more. He had a really bad feeling and all he could do was pace the floor and wait patiently, hoping that Stiles walked through the door and explained that he had just gone to the store or stopped by to see Scott...or something.

After another fifteen minutes, Derek's phone rang. His heart lifted but fell as he saw the unknown ID. He answered anyways, wondering if maybe Stiles had lost his phone and was calling from a friend's or a payphone—what few of those still existed these days. “Hello?” he answered eagerly.

“Derek?” a familiar voice asked. He couldn't place the voice but he knew it was one of Stiles' friends. When he said that it was him speaking the voice continued, sounding worn and scared. “It's Scott McCall. Um,” he stammered. “There's been an accident.”

Derek's heart dropped in his chest, wondering it was Stiles or the Sheriff and hoping it was neither. Maybe Stiles had just been called into work because the accident had been bad? He could hope, but he knew different. He knew this was going to be bad. “What happened?”

“Derek, Stiles was hit by a drunk driver. He's in the ER now. He's pretty banged up, in and out of consciousness.”

“I'll be there,” Derek said, hanging up with his heart in his throat. He would not cry, he would not break down, he would be okay. Stiles would be okay.

He managed to make the trip to the hospital in record time, ignoring many of the speed laws in order to do so. He rushed into the ER, paying no mind to the nurses telling him he couldn't go back there. He pushed passed people until he found the Sheriff who at this point looked a lot worse for wear. Melissa stood before him, a shocked and scared looking Scott there as well.

“What happened?” he demanded.

Scott spoke, voice a little hoarse but firm. “I was the responding EMT, from what I gathered Stiles had the green light and was halfway through the intersection when a black truck ran the red light and smashed into the passenger's side. Turns out the dude was drunk. Stiles' jeep spun out before landing on its side. He hit is head pretty hard on the window, twice I'm assuming, first due to the initial impact and second when the car tilted. His left arm is broken and he's got a lot of bruising and cuts. Most don't need stitches but the ones on the side of his face do. They're worried about the fact that he's in and out of consciousness.”

“Right now,” Melissa started, “He's stable. He's got major concussion that the doctors are worried about. There's no sign of bleeding on his brain but there is a slight amount of swelling they want to keep an eye on. His arm was a clean break, they'll set it and cast it. He'll be in the cast for about eight weeks if not less depending on how fast he heals. Like Scott said, he's banged up, a lot of bruises and he's gonna hurt for a while. If everything is well he'll go home in a few days.”

“The guy who hit him?” Derek growled out, figuring anger was a better alternative to crying like a baby.

It was the Sheriff who spoke this time. “He's fine, a few cuts and bruises and a minor concussion from hitting his head on the steering wheel. He's in radiology right now and after that I'm taking him in for DUI.”

Derek nodded curtly. “When can I see him?”

Melissa gave a sympathetic smile, knowing what it must have been like Derek to have to know the man he loved was in pretty bad, though stable, shape. She couldn't imagine if it were Scott. She'd be a mess at this point. “They're gonna take him upstairs for a few more tests and set his arm. Give them about half an hour. You guys can wait down the hall. I'll come get you if anything chances and I'll bring you back when he can have visitors.”

None of them seemed to like that but they did as they were told and went to the family waiting room down the hall. It was a good thing that Melissa didn't show up in the half hour they said they would be waiting because Derek was too fearful that he would breakdown if anything bad were to go wrong. He did allow himself a silent moment where he cried. He didn't want to lose Stiles, he'd lost far to many people in his life as it was. Losing Stiles would probably break him for a good long while.

“He's awake and asking for Derek,” Melissa came back, about fifteen minutes after the original time she said she would come get them.

“Go,” the Sheriff muttered, his voice rough and understanding how Stiles must have felt when it was him in the hospital bed, fate unknown.

Derek nodded his thanks and unfolded himself from his chair to follow Melissa back to the ER proper. The doctors were no longer scrambling about, the ER having calmed down enough that a normal flow of people passed as the came to the curtained off area that held Stiles.

When the curtain was opened Derek nearly cried again. Stiles had dark bruises forming along the left side of his face, several stitches in two separate lacerations, one on his temple and the other on his cheek bone. There were a plethora of other cuts on his face and neck and more than likely some other not currently exposed flesh. His arm was in a black cast, courtesy of Melissa telling them what color to use despite Stiles being a grown man.

“Hey,” Stiles whispered hoarsely and Derek did breakdown as he went to the chair beside the bed. “Hey don't cry. I'm okay.”

“I'll go,” Melissa said softly, shutting the curtains as she went.

“God,” Derek muttered, sitting down and taking Stiles' unharmed hand in his. There were I.V. Attached there and he was careful not to tug at them or push to hard. “God,” he repeated.

“Didn't meet him thankfully. Though I swear I saw a white light,” Stiles teased which only caused Derek's naturally tan skin to pale. “Okay, didn't mean that. Just saw blackness from what I remember, which isn't much. Just driving up and hitting a green light and then bang, nothing. They said a drunk driver hit me but honestly I don't even remember the impact.” As if realizing something he groaned. “My Jeep, my poor poor jeep!”

Derek couldn't help but laugh, thankful Stiles didn't remember the whole of the accident and amazed at how he was worried about his car when he could have died.

“That was my mom's Jeep,” he whined out childishly.

“I'm sure it's fine,” Derek said though another watery laugh. “Nothing some work can't fix. Scott didn't tell me how bad the car was but it fell on it's side so I'm assuming you were hit hard enough that the passenger side door is dust.”

Stiles groaned loudly and closed his eyes. “You okay?” he asked after some silence had passed.

“I am now,” Derek admitted. “I love you.”

“Love you too Derek,” Stiles responded. “Horrible way to spend Christmas.”

“If you wanted out of spending it together all you had to do was ask,” Derek teased now causing Stiles to chuckle.

That was how the Sheriff and Scott found them, chuckling and making bad jokes. They both knew that everything would be alright if Stiles could crack a smile and mess around, even if they were both suffering and trying to lighten the others mood.

~~~~~~

Stiles was released two days after Christmas, and too close to New Years Eve for his tastes. He wanted to go out as they planned and though Derek and the others were stuck in their conviction to keep him home for the usual party holiday, Stiles was anything but accommodating. They had all made plans to spend the last night of the year in the city, going the club they always went to on the Eve. It was a tradition for Stiles and his friends that had the year they turned twenty one. Derek and his friends usually ended up at his house drinking themselves into oblivion and regretting it the next day. A club seemed a lot more fun but Derek was hesitant to let Stiles go out and drink so close to when he'd had the accident. Stiles tried to tell him that at that point it would have been a week in the past. Derek tried to stand his ground, they all did, but in the end they relented and only made Stiles promise to only have two drinks and if for any reason he felt horrible they night was to be canceled.

Stiles readily agreed and before they knew it the whole group, both Derek's side and Stiles' side, had come together to toast the new year and all the new memories to come. They danced and partied and drank like the adults the were (with the exception of Stiles who was sullen about this fact but didn't say anything), kissed passionately at midnight, and when the club shut the doors they all walked their way to the hotel they were staying at, some were more drunk than others but they weren't the only ones laughing in the lobby and stumbling for the elevators.

Despite the lack of being able to fully party, Stiles couldn't have been happier when he and Derek fell into the bed together.

~~~~~~~

By the first of the year, Stiles' dad had been given a clean bill of health. He was cancer free, and had been for more than three months prior. He hadn't had a treatment since before Thanksgiving but the doctors had been watching him like a hawk. Stiles was thrilled, the Sheriff was still adjusting to being treatment free as his immune system tried to repair itself. Stiles still worried but he wasn't as upset or flustered or scared as he had been in the very beginning. With the help of Derek and their friends, after Stiles had finally told everyone the day his dad had surgery, he managed to hang on through the worst of it. A good support system, as Derek had always said, made a large difference in keeping Stiles from going insane.

Now living together, Stiles and Derek spent more time with one another than they had previously. It was an exciting and dramatic change for the both of them, having to learn how to live their lives around the life of the other and realizing that separate space was hard to come by but easily found if one sought it out. Much to their surprise they didn't fight, not often and always over the silliest of things that lead to laughter. Derek was now happy to be out from under the roof of his family home and away from the screaming infant his sister had given birth to at the end of November, right after Thanksgiving. He loved his new niece but the peace of actually having the quiet back was a blessing.

Before they knew it, Valentine's day was there and both of them were confused as to what to do. They wanted to go out but they didn't want to do anything stereotypical. They had admitted when they asked each other what they wanted to do that they had never actually had a significant other of this level on Valentine's day. Like everything else in their lives they had realized this was a whole new experience but they were happy to go along with what the other wanted.

Stiles had one idea.

Derek had another.

Derek walked in the door. Intending to force Stiles to get dressed up and go out to a new restaurant for dinner but when he opened the door to the loft the the smell caught his attention. He knew Stiles could cook. He did it often and well, but he didn't know that Stiles could make something that smelled like it came out of a Thai kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked, coming to wrap his arms around Stiles who was stirring something that looked like curry on the stove. He hadn't had good curry in what felt like forever and he prayed that Stiles had actually make it correctly or they both would be regretting it.

“Cooking, what about you?” Stiles asked in a teasing tone as he continued to do just as he said he was doing.

“Giving the person I love a kiss,” he said before doing just that which stopped Stiles in his movements.

Stiles smiled into the kiss, causing it to be a little full of teeth but neither seemed to care as they both ended up laughing and resting their foreheads together, noses lightly brushing. “Happy Valentine's day.”

“Happy Valentine's day. I'm so sorry I had to work.” Derek said softly before letting Stiles go to continue cooking whatever heaven it was he was making.

“It's fine Derek,” Stiles soothed, not at all bothered that Derek had worked. He would have loved Derek to be home for the day but life couldn't be halted for a simple holiday. “I'm sort of glad you did. It gave me time to actually go to the store and cook all this.”

“It smells delicious. Like a dish my mom....” Derek stopped mid-sentence realizing that this smelled exactly like this mother's cooking. “How?”

“Laura gave me her cookbook for Christmas, or rather a copy of it. I was going to tell you but she said that there was a special dish, I would know it by the page, and to make it for a really special dinner. I thought tonight was a good night,” he said sheepishly.

“Thank you so much Stiles,” Derek said through teary eyes. No matter how long it had been since he'd lost his parents it still hurt from time to time when special things like this turned up. He figured it would always be like this, little moments that brought tears to his eyes even though he was happy.

Stiles, worried now, turned from the stove to look at his boyfriend. “Don't cry, please don't cry. It's Valentine's day. I'll strip if it will keep you from crying.”

Derek laughed at the idea, “You can strip later, right now finish dinner because I'm starving.”

Stiles laughed and did just that.

During dinner they talked, about their day as usual. Stiles told Derek how he had seen Scott earlier that day and that he was suffering from a really bad cold, how he was worried about getting sick again after having had a cold not more than half a year ago and wondering how Scott kept getting colds. He told him how he was worried about his dad because it was cold season and his dad was already starting to sound a little congested and he knew that his dad's immune system wasn't quite what it used to be just yet, if it ever would be normal again. Derek tried to sooth the best he could but he understood the worry. He was worried too. He hadn't the heart to tell Stiles that he had seen men healthier than his father be felled by a common cold that turned into something much worse.

Of course, after dinner Derek did hold Stiles to the promise of stripping and the rest of the night was spent in a much more appropriate manner for a Valentine's night.

~~~~~~

It was a few weeks later, after their valentine's dinner, that his dad got sick. No one had thought overly much about it, a small cold that should have gone away in a matter of days. Stiles blamed himself for bringing it home to his father but he hadn't been sure he was actually contagious. Derek had been so sure that it was just congestion caused by the weird shift in weather, something that couldn't be spread from person to person. Sadly, looking back now, they realized they should have aired on the side of caution and kept Stiles away from his dad for just a few more days.

His dad has been fine at first, a little coughing and a stuffy nose, nothing to worry about. Stiles had made him see his doctor anyways, knowing that while he was no longer going through the mass amount of treatment he had been months earlier, his immune system still wasn't up to par with a healthy person's system. The doctor had claimed it would be fine, take some over the counter cold medicine and if it doesn't clear up in a week to go back. Stiles had been adamant that his dad listen to his doctor and rest while he recovered but given who his dad was, he rested for maybe a day or so and then went back to work.

When the week mark came around he still hadn't been feeling well and the return trip to the doctor had confirmed that it was an upper respiratory infection that if left untreated with his compromised immune system could turn into something much worse. Stiles, with Derek in tow this time, had made the man promise to take a week or so off of work to recover. Stiles' dad agreed and started antibiotics that very day. Stiles had stuck around his old childhood house, Derek hanging around when he wasn't at work or at home dealing with Laura and the new baby. In fact, Stiles refused to leave to go home at night, saying he felt better spending the night in his old room just to make sure his dad didn't do something stupid like go to work the following morning.

It wasn't until two days later in the morning that Stiles realized something was really wrong. While his dad had been having some minor issues breathing, nothing a decongestant wouldn't take care of for a few hours, that morning had been different. He had been short of breath, more so than he had been in the past few days, and he was chalk white. Stiles, falling back on his medical training and refusing to panic, quickly sat him down and looked him over. After finding his dad's nail beds to be purple he called Derek who told Stiles to immediately get his dad to the emergency room.

Now Stiles sat in a hospital room for what felt like the millionth time in the last year. In fact, Stiles realized, it hadn't even been a year since his dad had found out he had cancer. It had only been about five months since his dad had gone into remission. It had only been ten months since the diagnosis.

Ten months of his dad in and out of clinics and outpatient centers and hospital stays when it became all to much for the sheriff to handle. Ten months of panic and nightmares and worry. Ten months of Derek holding his hand in silence as he internally freaked out, of his dad managing to put on a brave face. Ten months of hell on earth until they all finally saw the light. Ten months and they were back at square one, except this time they doctors were worried, they could only give Stiles 'I don't know yet' answers while they ran tests and left him sitting there distraught and scared.

That was how Derek found his boyfriend after his night shift was over. He was sitting in a chair in one of the emergency rooms, waiting for his father who was currently in x-ray. Stiles was dressed in his pajama pants, having not thought to change, his tee shirt wrinkled under his favored red hoodie that had seen better days. His hair was a mess, bags under his eyes from either lack of sleep or fear or both. His arms were crossed and his head was down, staring at his shoes in much the same daze as he had been while his father was in surgery that last past May.

“Stiles?” Derek questioned quietly to get his attention with the hopes of not startling him. Sadly, that was what happened anyway, Stiles giving a little jump as he raised his head to look at Derek. “Oh Stiles,” Derek said, sadly noting that the bruises under the other man's eyes were because of the fact he had been crying.

“They won't tell me anything,” Stiles rasped, his voice hoarse from crying silently and probably yelling at doctors and nurses. Derek had heard about the commotion he had caused downstairs and some of the nurses who had been yelled at had complained to him that his boyfriend was an overbearing jackass who needed to shut up and let people do their work. That was also more than likely the reason that Stiles was currently in the dark about what was going on. Thankfully Derek knew.

“He's in x-ray right now. They need a picture of his lungs to know exactly how bad it is,” he said, not wanting to be any less than truthful.

“The doctor said it might be pneumonia, a very extreme case of it. How could it have gotten that bad?” Stiles pleaded, his voice raising just slightly in his panic.

Derek, taking Stiles' hand in his and lacking his fingers with the long fingers of his boyfriend, sighed. “His immune system isn't on par with how it should be.”

“But it's been months since his last round of radiation,” Stiles whined. “His immune system should have bounced back by now.”

Nodding now, Derek used his free hand to rub down his face. “It takes a while for the immune system to get back to normal, you know how after you have a cold you can easily get sick again?” Stiles nodded now. “Imagine you were blasted with radiation meant to help you. The body takes a while to go back to normal, you should know that given your training.”

Stiles nodded once more, rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of Derek's hand. The touch gave him comfort but it didn't help much in his fear for his dad's health. “He'll be okay, right?”

“He's a strong man, Stiles. He'll pull through this.” He didn't say what Stiles wanted to hear, he said what Stiles needed to hear. Sometimes the truth hurt, but a white lie often hurt more in the end.

“It's my fault.”

Derek gave Stiles' hand a rough shake which caused the younger man to look up into serious eyes. “Nothing is your fault Stiles. You're dad got sick and would have gotten sick even if you had stayed away. He's in a profession that deals with people, like we are, and it's bound to happen sooner or later. His doctors knew this.”

“Then why didn't they tell him this could happen?” Stiles pleaded.

“That's the thing, he knew. They had to tell him that this could happen if he got sick. It's the same thing as when he was going through treatments. He's still susceptible to illness more so than you or me and when he gets sick it's going to be worse and possibly life threatening.”

At that Stiles began to panic, pulling in deep breaths of air that forced Derek drop Stiles' hand to grab the back of his neck and push his head between his legs. This wasn't the first time that Derek had to do this in the last few weeks. Stiles would panic over every little thing his dad did, often using the internet and jumping to conclusions that were usually so far from the truth that Derek would later laugh about it. Derek had tried various methods to get Stiles to calm down, first of which had started with getting him to hold his breath. Kissing had worked well and quickly but eventually it got to the point where Stiles knew it was going to happen and the surprise wore off. Derek had then resorted to trying the method that had often worked for him and his sisters. Unfortunately, Stiles had a habit of sitting or curling in a ball when he panicked thus causing Derek to resort to force to get Stiles' head between his legs. That had worked the last few times Stiles had panicked and so far it seemed to be working now.

Stiles' breathes eventually leveled out to the point where he could be allowed to raise his head. Though he was glaring, as he always did, Derek knew that Stiles was grateful for the intervention before it could get any worse. “Thanks,” he grumbled out and took a deep breath in before releasing it shakily. “He can die this time,” he whispered after a few minutes, admitting a fact that he didn't want to admit.

“Any one can die at any time Stiles. The car accident before Christmas could have killed you, Laura could have died giving birth to Gracie, Liv could have been in the car with her dad when he died, Cora could have succeeded in killing herself. Scott could have died in high school in the forest. Every day we breathe could be our last. It's all happenstance Stiles,” he tried to sooth. “You and I, the fact we found one another and fell in love, that's just as much happenstance as your dad being here right now.”

“It's not fair,” Stiles finally sobbed, reaching for Derek. All the man could do was hold him as he cried. Derek teared up, stroking the hair of the man he loved, muttering soothing words that meant nothing. “I can't lose him.”

“I know,” Derek mumbled softly, laying a kiss on Stiles' head. “They're trying.” With that they stayed silent, Stiles crying and Derek trying his hardest not to cry. Over the last year, rather almost year, he had begun to see the Sheriff as a father figure, a man to look up to. He reminded Derek greatly of his own father, how he was kind and strong at the same time.

It wasn't until Melissa came in, tears in her eyes, that Derek broke down. She tried to explain what had happened, that his lungs were so full he'd had be put on a ventilator to help him breathe. His oxygen count had been so low that they doctors were surprised he hadn't come in sooner. Stiles began to blame himself before unfurling himself from Derek to hug Melissa just as a large commotion somewhere outside the emergency doors had them leaving the room. Outside was both their sets of friends. Familiar face from the last few months, some crying and others just looking worried and confused. Stiles found himself embraced by Scott and Allison, his two closest friends. Derek hugged his sisters close before they were ushered into a private waiting room before Stiles was allowed to go see his father nearly an hour later.

Stiles broke down once more as he pulled a chair up beside the bed and took his father's hand. He cried as he counted the wires and tubes and realized even after surgery his dad hadn't had that many on the opposite side of the surgery. It was disconcerting and scary to see. He'd seen people like this before, during his schooling, even recently as he studied to be a paramedic, not just EMT. Yet this was his father, the one man who he shouldn't have to see this way.

“I'm so sorry dad,” he hoarsely whispered before using his free hand to wipe at the tears on his cheeks. He was sick to his stomach, fearful and angry at both his dad and himself. “Don't you do this too me. I can't lose you like we lost mom. You can't leave me, not now.”

He laid his head down on the railing of the bed, his hand still clutching his father's. He felt his dad squeeze his hand gently, having heard him speak even though he was weak and drugged. Stiles squeezed back just as gently before smiling as he closed his eyes.

“Just don't leave me.”

~~~~~~

It was raining, nothing overly unusual for a summer day in Beacon Hills. What was unusual was for Stiles to be standing outside in the graveyard with his hands tucked into his pockets as he stared at the headstone he'd stared at more often over the last few years than he cared to actually admit...to anyone. It had been a hard few years, a good few years as well. His life had changed quite dramatically that day in the hospital.

“It's hard,” he stated, his voice no longer cracking as it had done in the beginning. He cleared his throat though, feeling a lump forming as he ran a hand over his face before tucking it bad into his pocket. “But it has gotten better. I still think of you, a lot actually. It's hard without you here, I've just wanted to talk to you so often, especially lately. I know you'd be happy for me but I just...” he sighed, shrugging almost. “There have been moments where I just wanted to hear your voice. I worry that I'm starting to forget it. They say the voice of a loved one is the first to go, memory wise. You'll still see their face and smile and mannerisms but you forget how they sound, the way they laugh or yell. I'm forgetting yours,” he told the headstone solemnly.

The sound of a slamming car door somewhere behind him had him turning around. He caught sight of Derek, his now husband, and the beautiful little redheaded three year old he carried on his hip. That little girl was a miracle, thanks greatly to the help of Lydia and the support of all their friends and families. In the past five years his life had changed, for the better, of that he was sure. He wouldn't change a moment of the last chapter of his life.

“Sorry we're later,” Derek said on his quick approach through the drizzling rain. “Lydia and I couldn't tear the girls apart,” he added after kissing lightly on the lips, juggling the now fussy girl in his arms. “Claudia started crying when I tried to take her away from Kathy. Lydia, being Lydia, found the whole thing hilarious. Told her I was going to see daddy and she stopped instantly,” he said, bouncing the girl.

Claudia made grabby hands at her other daddy, “Daddy,” she squealed.

“Come on baby,” Stiles said, easily taking the girl from Derek and settling her on his hip. He gave her a little jiggle to adjust her position and when she was settled she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck and gave a sigh of contentedness as she kicked her little feet, hitting Stiles in the process.

The trio stood there for a few moments, Derek and Stiles understanding the gravity of where they were but the little girl not having a care in the world, death not common in her young life.

“You okay?” Derek asked in a hushed tone.

Stiles nodded, “Yeah, I'm okay. Just...every year I think it's gotten better but it's still pretty bad, but it's getting better at the same time.”

“It doesn't matter when you lost them, Stiles, it's going to hurt. I still miss my mom and dad every day. Some days are just better than others,” Derek explained, wrapping his arm around Stiles' waist. He leaned into Derek, earning a kiss to the temple.

They stood there in silence, a small little family of three. The silence remained for a while before they heard someone shout Stiles' name from across the graveyard where Derek's car was parked. Claudia perked her head up, a smile beaming across her tiny face, hazel eyes lighting up at the man striding across the graveyard to meet them.

Stiles and Derek smiled just as brightly. He had never doubted that his own father would miss coming to the graveyard to visit his wife's grave on the anniversary of her death.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artwork for Happenstance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827339) by [Amaradex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaradex/pseuds/Amaradex)




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